Jomar / Seko Worldwide Sued by EEOC for Sexual Harassment

Company Owner and CEO Harassed Female Employee About Her Breasts and Kept Suggestive Displays on His Desk, Federal Agency Charges

ATLANTA - An international cargo and freight transportation company, Jomar Transportation Inc., doing business as Seko Worldwide, violated federal law by subjecting a female employee to a pattern of sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit recently filed.

According to the EEOC's suit, a female international operations manager at the company's Forest Park, Ga., facility was subjected to repeated acts of sexual harassment by the company's owner and CEO.  The harassment included a barrage of lewd sexual comments, gestures, and e-mails about the employee's breasts, many of which were sent to other employees in the office.  The CEO also kept a pair of rubber breasts on his desk along with a jar of Vaseline, visible to all employees and customers who visited the company facility.  Although the employee complained to the company's other managers on several occasions about the harassment, the conduct continued until she resigned from her position with the company.  

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The EEOC filed its suit (EEOC v. Jomar Transportation, Inc. d/b/a Seko Worldwide Atlanta, Civil Action No.1:13-cv-03143) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Georgia, Atlanta Division after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.  The EEOC is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and other affirmative relief for the employee, as well as injunctive relief prohibiting Seko Worldwide from harassing its female employees, and equitable relief that provides equal employment opportunities for women.

"This case demonstrates that the battle to ensure respectful, non-discriminatory work environments for women is far from over," said Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the EEOC's Atlanta District Office.  "The EEOC is committed to protecting women's rights in the workplace."

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Further information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.