New York Employer Liable for Sexual Harassment and Pregnancy Discrimination
Duane Reade, Inc. must pay $240,000 to female employees who suffered sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination while working at the pharmacy.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) filed suit against the popular New York City pharmacy on behalf of female employees for creating a hostile and threatening environment. A Duane Reade manager in a Bronx location sexually harassed the women by making inappropriate comments about womens’ private parts, sexually propositioning female employees, making explicit remarks about their pregnancies and bodies, repeatedly touching the female employees and grabbing their buttocks and assigning unfavorable duties to the pregnant employees.
A retaliation claim was also brought by the EEOC on behalf of the female employees because, after they complained about their supervisors’ unlawful behavior, Duane Reade allowed the discrimination to continue instead of remedying the hostile work environment.
