Kelley Williamson Company Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Case For $75,000

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Kelley Williamson Company, a Rockford-based gas station, and convenience store operator, will pay $75,000 and furnish other relief to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charging sexual harassment and improper disclosure of confidential medical information, the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a female employee at Kelley Williamson’s Byron, Illinois gas station was subjected to months of sexual advances and crude jokes by a male customer. The employee reported the customer’s conduct to Kelley Williamson’s management – as did other employees and customers – but the company failed to act promptly to stop the harassment. The company also failed to preserve the confidentiality of the employee’s confidential medical information, the lawsuit charged. According to the agency’s investigation, a store manager shared this information with other employees who had no legitimate need to access it.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment in employment, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires that emp­loyers keep medical information collected from its employees confidential. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Kelley Williamson Co., Civil Action No. 22-cv-50033) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The case was litigated by Trial Attorneys Greger B. Calhan and Miles Shultz and Supervisory Trial Attorney Deborah Hamilton.

In addition to paying $75,000 in monetary relief to the employee, the consent decree settling the suit, now approved by the federal district court, provides for injunctive relief, training on Title VII and the ADA, and compliance-related reporting to the EEOC. The EEOC will monitor compliance with these obligations for the next four years.

“Every person is entitled to a safe and respectful workplace,” said Greg Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District. “Employers have a legal obligation to prevent sexual harass­ment at work and preserve the confidentiality of employees’ private medical records, and the EEOC is committed to ensuring that these obligations are met.”

EEOC Chicago District Director Julie Bowman added, “Employers must take reports of sexual harassment seriously and act promptly to stop harassment when it occurs. Kelley Williamson should be commended both for agreeing to a consent decree early in this litigation and committing to ensuring that its managers and employees are trained on their rights and obligations under Title VII and the ADA.”

For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.

The EEOC’s Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. 

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.