Female Employee Subjected to Sex Discrimination and Retaliatory Discharge, Federal Agency Charged
LAS VEGAS - Candid Litho Printing, LTD, doing business as Candid Worldwide, a printing and graphic arts company with facilities in Las Vegas and Long Island City, N.Y., will pay $242,799 and provide other relief to settle a sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Candid Litho's general manager subjected a female production manager to regular and continuous discrimination and sexual harassment. The EEOC further charged that when the company fired the production manager after she complained about the discrimination and harassment, it also fired her son and fiancé without justification.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit in September 2017 (EEOC v. Candid Litho Printing, LTD, dba Candid Worldwide, fka Blue Ocean Worldwide, Case No. 2:17-cv-02119-MMD-CWH) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to the monetary relief, Candid Litho entered into a three-year consent decree whereby the company agreed to retain a consultant to review and revise company policies to ensure they prohibit sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation, and contain a process for prompt handling of discrimination complaints. Candid Litho will also train its employees on the company's policies and equal employment rights and responsibilities under Title VII, with an emphasis in sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. Candid Litho further agreed to report sex discrimination complaints and provide reports on hiring and terminations.
"As the #MeToo movement has demonstrated, female employees continue to face sex discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace," said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District, which includes Nevada in its jurisdiction. "It is not enough for employers to have anti-discrimination policies and engage in regular training. Employers must also realize the importance of holding decision makers accountable for following through on their policies by acting promptly when harassment allegations arise."
Wendy Martin, local director of the EEOC's Las Vegas Local Office, added, "Harassment in the workplace remains a persistent problem, with almost a third of EEOC charges including harassment allegations. The EEOC remains committed to eliminating harassment and other forms of discrimination and retaliation in the workplace."
