Riddle Painting and EEOC to Settle Lawsuit Alleging Violations of Title VII

 PHOENIX -Riddle Painting & Coatings, Inc., an Arizona industrial and commercial painting company, settled a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona (EEOC v. Riddle Painting and Coating, Inc., Case No. 2:18-cv-02990-DLR), the EEOC announced today.

According to the allegations in the EEOC's lawsuit, employees at Riddle Painting subjected two employees to a sexually hostile work environment, as well as a racially hostile work environment. The EEOC alleged that the harassment made working conditions so difficult that one employee was forced to resign. Riddle Painting denied the EEOC's allegations.    

The EEOC and Riddle Painting entered into a consent decree settling the lawsuit whereby Riddle Painting agreed to institute policies and procedures specifically addressing sexual and racial harassment. Riddle Painting included $50,000 in monetary payment and voluntarily agreed to train its managers and employees on how to prevent discrimination in the workplace.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. Prohibited discrimination includes racial and sexual harassment.

"The Report of the Co-Chairs of the EEOC Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace describes steps employers can take to prevent harassment," said EEOC Phoenix District Office Regional Attorney Mary Jo O'Neill. "This is an important issue for all of us, and we encourage all employers to read it and take active steps to address harassment in the workplace."

Elizabeth Cadle, district director of the EEOC's Phoenix District Office, stated, "We appreciate Riddle Painting's cooperation in reaching an early resolution of this case and its voluntary commitment to instituting policies and training to ensure that employees' rights are protected moving forward."

The EEOC's Phoenix District Office has jurisdiction for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and part of New Mexico.

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.