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In a rare display of courage, a young Pakistani woman complained about sexual harassment by her supervisor, resulting in a $25,000 settlement.
On March 27, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a settlement in the employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against Dollar Bright, Inc., the operator of a retail discount store in New York City, and the New Jersey-based U.S. Dream, Inc., which provides management services to Dollar Bright and many other stores.
The EEOC charged that Samera Khalid, a former cashier at Dollar Bright, was subjected to grabbing, sexual touching, and other inappropriate and unwanted physical contact as well as sexual comments from her store supervisoran Indian by birthand that Dollar Bright fired Samera after she complained about the harassment.
Samera worked there for about five months last year, during which time the supervisor harassed her verbally as well as physically, said Sunu Chandy, the trial attorney. When Sameras father complained to the top management, they said that the supervisor was an important employee of the organization and so they would not take any action against him. And they suggested Samera should leave the job. All of this conduct violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin and protects employees who complain about such offenses from retaliation.
According to the U.S. Southern District Court of New York, the company has agreed to take active steps to provide for greater protection from workplace harassment, including training regarding discrimination and harassment for all supervisors, managers and employees and implementing a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Policy and Complaint Procedure at over 40 stores where U.S. Dream provides management services. Additionally, the companies will compensate Khalid $25,000.
Chandy said that normally the EEOC, a government body, does not hear individual cases. But, since Sameras case involved making a point about the issue in the South Asian community, they decided to take it up.
The most significant aspect here is that is that the EEOC does not make inquiries into the immigration status of complainants.
All employees everywhere in America are entitled to work in an environment free of sexual harassment, said EEOC New York District Director Spencer Lewis. We are also particularly pleased to see that people from traditionally underserved communities, such as Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, are coming forward with discrimination claims, Lewis said. It is vitally significant that Asian-American and Pacific Islander women are becoming aware of their rights under federal employment discrimination laws, and a key protection is their right to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace.
On March 27, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a settlement in the employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against Dollar Bright, Inc., the operator of a retail discount store in New York City, and the New Jersey-based U.S. Dream, Inc., which provides management services to Dollar Bright and many other stores.
The EEOC charged that Samera Khalid, a former cashier at Dollar Bright, was subjected to grabbing, sexual touching, and other inappropriate and unwanted physical contact as well as sexual comments from her store supervisoran Indian by birthand that Dollar Bright fired Samera after she complained about the harassment.
Samera worked there for about five months last year, during which time the supervisor harassed her verbally as well as physically, said Sunu Chandy, the trial attorney. When Sameras father complained to the top management, they said that the supervisor was an important employee of the organization and so they would not take any action against him. And they suggested Samera should leave the job. All of this conduct violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin and protects employees who complain about such offenses from retaliation.
According to the U.S. Southern District Court of New York, the company has agreed to take active steps to provide for greater protection from workplace harassment, including training regarding discrimination and harassment for all supervisors, managers and employees and implementing a comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Policy and Complaint Procedure at over 40 stores where U.S. Dream provides management services. Additionally, the companies will compensate Khalid $25,000.
Chandy said that normally the EEOC, a government body, does not hear individual cases. But, since Sameras case involved making a point about the issue in the South Asian community, they decided to take it up.
The most significant aspect here is that is that the EEOC does not make inquiries into the immigration status of complainants.
All employees everywhere in America are entitled to work in an environment free of sexual harassment, said EEOC New York District Director Spencer Lewis. We are also particularly pleased to see that people from traditionally underserved communities, such as Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, are coming forward with discrimination claims, Lewis said. It is vitally significant that Asian-American and Pacific Islander women are becoming aware of their rights under federal employment discrimination laws, and a key protection is their right to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace.