Retaliation for Reporting Sexual Harassment Is Illegal

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled a case against Flash Market, Inc., a company that operates convenience store gas stations.  The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that Flash Market subject an employee to sexual harassment and then retaliated against the employee after she complained.  The lawsuit claimed that one of the company’s female cashiers had been propositioned by the area manager for sex, and that the area manager made inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriately touched the employee on multiple occasions.  The cashier complained to a store manager.  However, the store manager informed the cashier that she could not help because the area manager had also sexually harassed the store manager.  The cashier filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, but the area manager fired her after she filed this charge.  The alleged conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Sexual harassment and retaliation for complaints of sexual harassment are prohibited by this Act.  See EEOC v. Flash Market, Inc., No. 2:17-cv-02717 (W.D. Tenn.).