Hi Tech Motorcars, LLC and Affiliated Car Dealerships to Pay $925,000 in EEOC Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Suit

According to the EEOC,  Central Austin Motorcars, LLC, Hi Tech Motorcars, LLC, and Stadium Motorcars, LLC will pay $925,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, five managers at South Austin Nissan, a car dealership in Austin, subjected four female sales employees to a sexually hostile work environment including frequent sexual comments, unwanted touching, and a physical assault in the workplace. The filing claimed managers also instructed female sales associates to “show more, sell more,” encouraging them to use sexuality to sell cars. One female sales associate was forced to resign her employment in February 2023 due to the harassment. The EEOC’s suit also alleged the dealerships engaged in unlawful retaliation stemming from the transfer and subsequent termination of a male sales manager upon learning he reported the sexual harassment. (EEOC v. Central Austin Motorcars, LLC, Hi Tech Motorcars, LLC, and Stadium Motorcars, LLC, Case No. 1:23-cv-01541-RP)