Sundance, Inc. and Black River Bells to Pay $100,000 in EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

DETROIT – Sundance, Inc. and Black River Bells, operators of several Taco Bell restaurants in the metropolitan Detroit area, will pay $100,000 and furnish other relief to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Sundance and Black River Bells employed an area coach who exercised managerial control over several of their Taco Bell locations. For months in 2022, he frequently sexually harassed a group of female employees, including underage employees. The harassment included inappropriate sexual comments, asking underage employees if they were sexually active, asking an employee if she would give him “sugar” when she turned 18, unwanted and inappropriate touching, and asking an assistant manager for videos or images of her having sex with her boyfriend. Sundance and Black River Bells also terminated an assistant manager the same day she reported the area coach’s harassment, according to the suit.

“Entering the workforce can already be a daunting experience for a teenager; sexual harassment should not be a part of that experience,” said Kenneth Bird, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Indianapolis District Office. “Employers, particularly those in the restaurant industry, have a duty to protect young workers by implementing strong policies and acting promptly and decisively when sexual harassment complaints are received.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a hostile workplace environment based on sex, including sexual harassment, as well as retaliation against individuals who complain about sexual harassment or engage in other protected activity. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Sundance, Inc., d/b/a Taco Bell, et al., Case No. 25-cv-10575) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

Under the three-year consent decree resolving the EEOC’s lawsuit, Sundance and Black River Bells will pay $100,000 in monetary damages to compensate five women harassed by the area coach, provide annual training to all management level and human resources employees on sexual harassment and retaliation, and submit annual reports regarding any sexual harassment complaints.

The assistant manager who reported the harassment intervened in the lawsuit and filed separate retaliation and harassment claims which she will continue to litigate.

To learn more about sexual harassment, visit www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.

The EEOC’s Youth@Work website (www.eeoc.gov/youth) has information for teens and other young workers about employment discrimination, including curriculum guides for students and teachers and videos to help young workers learn about their rights and responsibilities.

The lawsuit was initiated by the EEOC’s Detroit Field Office, one of four component offices of the agency’s Indianapolis District Office. The Indianapolis District Office has jurisdiction over Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and parts of Ohio.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.