Dunkin’ Donuts Charged With Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

A Dunkin Donuts store manager tormented young female staff and terminated a worker who opposed sexual harassment according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The sex harassment and retaliation lawsuit claims that a franchisee of Dunkin' Donuts with multiple stores and one office/kitchen in Westchester County, N.Y., subjected young female workers to sexual harassment by a manager since at least 2011. The lawsuit charged the company with unlawfully firing a female worker for opposing the sexual harassment and calling the police. According to EEOC's suit against Hillcrest Marshall, Inc., the store manager's harassment included making sexual comments and propositions, such as saying almost daily that he wanted to have a "threesome" with the women, many of whom were in their teens. The manager talked about his genitals, tried to kiss a female worker, and pressured a female worker to have sex. Frustrated with one worker's rejection of his sexual advances, the manager smacked her face, cursed and yelled at her regularly and sent her home several times in the middle of her shift. When she contacted the police, she was fired. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers may not subject employees to a hostile work environment because of sex and cannot retaliate against employees for resisting or making complaints. The lawsuit seeks monetary relief for the affected workers, as well as relief meant to remedy and prevent future harassment or retaliation at the company. In his comments about the sex harassment lawsuit New York District Director Kevin Berry stated, "It took a great deal of courage for these young women to come forward and speak up against the manager who had power over their livelihood. Employers need to implement strong policies so that victims can report sexual harassment without reprisal." The EEOC trial attorney assigned to the case added that, "Targeting teenaged female workers is especially inexcusable. Our most vulnerable workers must be protected against sexual advances at work.”