Tavern on the Green to Pay $2.2M to Settle Sex, Race Bias Suit
Tavern on the Green has agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle accusations of harassment and retaliation in a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The suit had claimed the New York restaurant engaged in harassment on the basis of race, sex and national origin, a press release says. The alleged harassment included demands for sex, groping of female employees, and epithets toward blacks and Hispanics.
The New York Times’ City Room Blog reports that the EEOC suit had alleged a top manager called Hispanic employees “ignorant immigrants” and ridiculed their accents. The suit said Tavern on the Green knew or should have known of pervasive harassment and failed to stop the behavior.
As part of the consent decree, the restaurant will also establish a hotline for employees to report harassment and will train its workers in proper conduct.
The New York Sun’s advance story on the settlement said it was not immediately clear how the money will be divided among current and former employees.
