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Press Release 10-06-2011

EEOC Files Lawsuit Against Multilink For Sexual Harassment, Retaliation

Woman Subjected to Sexually Hostile Environment, Then Fired for Complaining, Federal Agency Charged

CLEVELAND  – Multilink, Inc, an engineering and product development manufacturer with facilities  in Elyria, Ohio, violated federal law by subjecting an  employee to sex-based harassment and a sexually hostile work environment and  then firing her for complaining, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today.

The EEOC said Nancy Noble began  working at the company in September 2009 and was subjected to offensive  sex-based conduct and sexually demeaning remarks. Despite her complaints to management, the  harassment continued. The EEOC alleges  that although Multilink's human resources officials and other managers were  aware of the sex-based harassment and abusive work environment, Multilink  failed to conduct a proper investigation and failed to take prompt or  appropriate corrective action to stop the misconduct. The EEOC also seeks relief on behalf of other  current and former females employees, similarly situated with Noble, who were also  subjected to unlawful sex-based harassment and a hostile work environment.

Such alleged conduct violates Title  VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The  EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Eastern  Division (Case: 1:11-cv-02071) after  first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation  process. The agency seeks injunctive  relief, damages and lost wages and benefits because of Multilink's discrimination.

"Employees should be able to go to  work without the worry of harassment," said Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence of  the EEOC's Philadelphia District Office, which oversees Pennsylvania,  Delaware, West Virginia,  Maryland, and portions of New  Jersey and Ohio.  "Not only are employers obligated to  provide employees with an environment free of harassment, but upon learning of such  misconduct, they are required to take immediate and appropriate action to stop  the abuse from continuing."

Multilink manufactures telecommunications  network components.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination www.eeoc.gov.