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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May
30, 2018
DISCOVERING HIDDEN HAWAII TOURS TO PAY $570,000 TO SETTLE EEOC MALE-ON-MALE SEXUAL HARASSMENT SUIT
Company
President
Sexually Harassed Male Employees for More Than a Decade,
Federal Agency Says
HONOLULU,
Hawai‘i – Three related Hawai‘i tour companies -- Discovering Hidden Hawaii
Tours, Inc., Hawaii Tours and Transportation Inc. and Big Kahuna Luau, Inc. --
will pay $570,000 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment suit
filed against the companies by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
The
EEOC filed suit against the three companies in 2017, charging that the
male president of Discovering Hidden Hawaii Tours engaged in a pattern of
sexually harassing male employees, many of whom were subsequently forced to
quit as a result of the egregious harassment or were retaliated against for
reporting the harassment, thereby violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (EEOC v. Discovering Hidden Hawaii Tours, Inc. et al, Case No:
1:17-cv-00067-DKW-KSC).
As
part of the settlement announced today, the parties entered into a three-year
consent decree providing $570,000 in damages to a class of male employees. The
decree requires that the alleged harasser not have further involvement in the
operations and divested of control of the companies. The companies will designate
an external equal employment opportunity (EEO) consultant to ensure the
companies’ compliance with Title VII and anti-retaliation policies and
procedures.
The
decree also requires an independent complaint process and impartial
investigations, together with a centralized tracking system for harassment and
retaliation complaints and provisions holding supervisors, managers and
officers of the companies accountable for harassment and retaliation. Annual
training on sexual harassment and retaliation will be provided, especially for
the president and other supervisors and managers, to educate them on their
rights and responsibilities on sexual harassment and retaliation with the goal
of preventing and deterring any discriminatory practices in the future.
“This settlement sends an unequivocal message
that accountability is required regardless of who the alleged harasser is and
no one is above the law under Title VII,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for
the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, which includes Hawai‘i in its jurisdiction, “The
EEOC will continue to relentlessly enforce laws against any sexual harassment
in workplaces.”
Glory
Gervacio Saure, director of the EEOC’s Honolulu Local Office, added, “Unfortunately,
our society still stigmatizes the victims, not the perpetrators, of sexual
harassment. Especially in light of the #MeToo movement, it is critical for
victims to speak up, despite the stigma, so that we can effectively address
sexual harassment in the workplace.”
According to the
company’s website, www.discoverhiddenhawaiitours.com, Discovering Hidden Hawaii
Tours provides guided tours of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.
Individuals who
may have experienced sexual harassment or have information pertaining to sexual
harassment in connection with employment at Discovering Hidden Hawaii Tours
should contact the EEOC at 808-541-3133 for more information.
Preventing workplace harassment
through systemic litigation and investigation is one of the six national
priorities identified by the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP).
The EEOC advances
opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment
discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.
Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email
updates.
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