PRESS RELEASE
9-14-09

Department Manager Subjected Women to Egregious Sexual Harassment, Agency Charges

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland supermarket chain Dave’s Supermarket violated federal law by subjecting female employees to a workplace environment permeated with sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit (Case No. 1:09cv2119), filed in U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division, a long-term male manager made repeated, unwanted sexual advances upon the female staff. Upper management was aware of the manager’s behavior and allowed it to persist, the EEOC said.

Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.

“We continue to see an increase in the number of harassment complaints; however, this was one of many instances when the employer could have taken steps to prevent it from ever happening,” said EEOC Acting Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence.

Dave’s is a Cleveland-based grocery store chain which operates 13 stores in Northern Ohio, employing more that 1,500 full- and part-time employees.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov.