Charlotte District EEOC office stays busy

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Charlotte District is charged with enforcing federal employment antidiscrimination laws in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Recently, the office has been busy both filing new cases and settling older ones. Here’s a summary of their activity.

Settlement reached over harassment at auto parts plant

Enforge, LLC is a Michigan-based automotive parts company conducting business in North Carolina. It has agreed to pay $35,000 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the EEOC.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a female employee was subjected to unwelcome sexual comments and touching by multiple male coworkers at the company’s Albemarle, North Carolina, plant between August and October 2020. Nothing was done after she complained to shift supervisors and other managers, and the harassment continued. The lawsuit further alleged that after she reported a male coworker for exposing himself to her, management instructed her not to return to work until management spoke with her. The company didn’t call her back to work and instead fired her.

In addition to paying $35,000 in damages to the affected employee, a two-year consent decree enjoins Enforge from subjecting any employee to sexual harassment or retaliation for opposing harassment. Enforge will be required to revise its antiharassment policies, post employee notices to inform workers on how to report harassment, and submit regularly scheduled compliance reports to the EEOC.