EEOC Sues Applebee's Grill and Bar for Sexual Harassment

Assistant Manager at North Myrtle Beach Location Subjected Two Sisters to Sexual Comments and Touching, Federal Agency Charges

FLORENCE, S.C. - Green Apple, LLC, dba Applebee's Grill and Bar, violated federal law when it subjected two female employees, sisters, to a sexually hostile work environment, the U.S. Equal Employ­ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed on 3 May 2017.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, around September 2013, Tracy Frye began working as a server at Applebee's Grill and Bar in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. The EEOC's complaint charged that from around January 2014 until October of that year, one of the male assistant managers at the rest­aurant subjected Tracy to sexual harassment. The alleged abuse included comments about the size of her breasts, com­paring salad dressing to semen, and propositioning Tracy for sex.

Around June 2014, Cindy Frye, Tracy Frye's sister, began working as a server at the same Applebee's. The EEOC said that from June 2014 until October of that year, the same assistant manager sexually harassed Cindy as well. The alleged misconduct toward Cindy included comments regarding female genitalia and as well as propo­sitions for sex. The complaint further alleges that the assistant manager touched both women inappro­priately. According to the EEOC's complaint, restaurant management was aware of the sexual harass­ment, but took no action to stop it until late October 2014, when a male relative of one of the women threatened to address the situation personally.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from allowing a sexually hostile work environment to exist in the workplace. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Florence Division (EEOC v. Green Apple, LLC, dba Applebee's Neigh­borhood Grill and Bar, Case No. 4:17-cv-01152-RBH-KDW) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settle­ment through its conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary relief, including compensatory and punitive damages for the harassment victims, as well as injunctive relief.

"This incredible case - where an abusive manager allegedly harassed one sister and then another - reinforces the crucial need for employers to take appropriate action to stop unwelcome sexual com­ments and misconduct in the workplace," said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC's Charlotte District Office. "The EEOC takes a company's disregard for the federally protected rights of its employees very seriously and will prosecute cases where this kind of abuse occurs."  

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.