The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Tuesday charging the general manager of several Albuquerque, N.M.-area IHOP restaurants with the sexual harassment of female employees — including some teenagers.
The lawsuit was one of two restaurant-related EEOC complaints filed by the Phoenix, Ariz.-based regional attorneys for the commission this week.
In a separate filing on Wednesday, sexual harassment charges were also filed by a female server at Casey Jones Grill, also in Phoenix.
In the IHOP case, attorneys for the plaintiffs said some of the women were forced to resign because they could not tolerate the harassment.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 27 in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico, targeted the incorporated entities and management companies of one franchise group, which operated the six restaurants involved. The entities doing business as IHOP restaurants named in the suit included Montanio Inc., RJM Hope Inc., Nader Inc., 1921 Inc., New Features Inc., Evon Inc., Falls Restaurant Group Inc., Adi Unser Inc. and Adi Brothers Management Group Inc.
Officials with IHOP parent company DineEquity Inc., based in Glendale, Calif., declined to comment.
The suit was filed on behalf of Jami Juarez and a class of women who said a general manager of several of the restaurants, Lee Broadnax, subjected them to pervasive sexual comments, innuendo, and unwelcome touching or attempted touching, which they said created a hostile work environment, according to a statement issued by EEOC attorneys.
The EEOC said Broadnax was transferred among six IHOP restaurants in Albuquerque, but the harassment continued.
The second lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for Arizona in Phoenix targets Casey Jones Grill owner Los Muchachos LLC. It is the second time an EEOC complaint has been filed involving employees there.
Attempts to reach Los Muchachos were unsuccessful.
According to the lawsuit, a server and other female employees were routinely called harassing and vulgar names and were subjected to unwelcome sexually offensive remarks. The server was also asked to dance on a “stripper pole” in the owner’s office, the lawsuit alleges.
When she complained about the treatment, she was discharged, the lawsuit said.
In both the IHOP and Casey Jones Grill cases, the plaintiffs are seeking lost wages and damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent discrimination in future.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
