Firing an Employee for Complaining About Sexual Harassment is Illegal Retaliation

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently announced that it settled a lawsuit against a Zaxby’s Restaurant franchise in which the EEOC alleged that a female cashier employee was sexually harassed by making inappropriate sexual comments and almost daily requests for sex.  The cashier complained to one of the restaurants owners, and the company responded by firing her mere days later in retaliation for this complaint.  This alleged conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits both sexual harassment and retaliation for complaints of sexual harassment.  See EEOC v. BCD Restaurants, LLC d/b/a Zaxby's, No. 1:19-cv-00903 (M.D.N.C.).