A Valley pet store chain, Bark If You're Dirty, is shelling out $340,000 to lay to rest a lawsuit where female employees asserted they were sexually harassed by male superiors.
Under the agreement, as detailed by 12 News, the store also commits to a three-year consent decree that includes enlisting an independent consultant to conduct training on sex discrimination. This comes after complaints of physical touch without consent, harassing remarks, sexual propositions, and showing female employees nude photos by a manager and an employee at the stores' Scottsdale and Phoenix locations.
Representatives from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission painted a grim picture of the situation. Female employees purportedly dealt with such harassment for years, but "no appropriate actions were taken to thwart the behavior," as per the statement obtained by 12 News. This misconduct allegedly led some to resign, while others found themselves terminated after voicing their grievances.
The store, formerly known as Wag N' Wash, will look into its current discrimination and retaliation policies, making necessary adjustments to circumvent a repetition of such events. "Sexual harassment in any workplace, no matter how casual or formal the working environment, is illegal and violates federal civil rights law," Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office underscored in a release reported by KTAR News. "Employers have a legal duty to stop, prevent, investigate and eliminate any and all sexual harassment."
As part of the settlement, Bark If You’re Dirty agreed to not rehire the incriminated manager and employee.
