By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas
The owner and operator of a chain of gambling parlors and hotel casino and resort facilities, which includes the Laughlin River Lodge Hotel & Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, Nevada Restaurant Services, Inc., violated federal law when it failed to prevent and correct ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, since at least 2018, Nevada Restaurant Services tolerated sexual harassment in which the harassers and victims were both men and women. The harassment included, but was not limited to, unwanted touching and groping, stalking, offering to pay for sex, and sexually offensive comments towards female employees. The Nevada Restaurant Services was aware of the harassment which occurred in the presence of supervisors. Even after complaints of harassment were made to human resources, Nevada Restaurant Services failed to address and correct the harassment which forced some employees to quit as their only way of avoiding the harassment.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for Nevada (Case No.: 2:23-cv-01307) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC’s suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for a class of aggrieved individuals, as well as injunctive relief intended to prevent and correct discrimination.
“It is imperative employers understand their responsibilities to prevent and remedy harassment in the workplace,” said Anna Park, regional attorney with the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, which includes Las Vegas in its jurisdiction. “The EEOC continues to see employers who fail to correct harassment and the agency will actively enforce anti-discrimination laws to address these issues.”
“There is no excuse for harassment in the workplace,” said Las Vegas Local Director Michael Mendoza. “Employees have the right to work in a safe and harassment-free environment. We commend those who came forward to share their harrowing experiences and encourage others to reach out to the EEOC if they experience harassment or discrimination in the workplace.”
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.
