EEOC SUES MVM FOR CLASS SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION
Federal Contractor Subjected Women to Harassment and Fired One Who Complained, Federal Agency Charges
BALTIMORE – MVM, Inc., an Ashburn, Va.-based diversified security services firm, violated federal law when it created and maintained a sexually hostile work environment and fired a security guard who complained about sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it announced today.
The EEOC’s lawsuit alleges that after the U.S. Social Security Administration awarded MVM a contract to provide security services at its Woodlawn, Md., campus in 2014, an acting site manager subjected security guard Monique Wilson to sexual harassment, including unwanted physical touching and lewd sexual comments. According to the suit, when the manager cornered Wilson on an elevator and kissed her without her consent in February 2016, she complained to management. Two weeks later, MVM fired Wilson in retaliation, the EEOC charges.
The EEOC also asserts that the manager subjected a class of female employees to inappropriate sexual comments and unwanted touching, including making sexual advances and crude comments about their appearance; requesting explicit pictures; simulating sexual activities; and engaging in unwelcome touching, including pushing his genitals against an employee and trying to kiss another. According to the suit, although supervisors and high-level managers witnessed the harassment, MVM allowed it to continue unabated.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits harassment based on sex. Title VII also prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee because she complained about harassment.
The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. MVM, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-02881) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. As part of the suit, the EEOC is seeking back pay and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of Wilson and other class members, as well as broad injunctive relief.
“MVM had ample opportunities to investigate and correct the situation when other managers observed the unwelcome sexual harassment and when an employee complained,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence. “Regrettably, the company made the situation much worse by failing to take appropriate corrective measures and instead engaging in retaliation.”
EEOC District Director Kevin Berry added, “MVM tolerated repeated and widespread sexual harassment by the acting site manager. It compounded the problem by punishing a woman who complained about sexual harassment instead of taking swift action against the wrongdoer. Since MVM failed to react properly, it is now up to the EEOC to vindicate the rights of these women who were subjected to such abuse.”
The EEOC’s Baltimore Field Office is one of four offices in the Philadelphia District Office, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia.
Preventing workplace harassment through systemic litigation and investigation is one of the six national priorities identified by the EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan. In 2015, the Commission convened a Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, led by Commissioner Chai R. Feldblum and current Acting Chair Victoria A. Lipnic.
The report includes detailed recommendations for harassment prevention, including a chart of risk factors that may permit harassment to occur; effective policies and procedures to reduce and eliminate harassment; recommendations for future research and funding; and targeted outreach. In addition, it offers a toolkit of compliance assistance measures for employers and other stakeholders. It can be found on the agency's website at https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/meetings/6-20-16/index.cfm.
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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