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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2023
EEOC SUES PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Federal Agency Charges Multiple Male Co-Workers and Managerial Employees Subjected Female Employees to Hostile Work Environment
PHILADELPHIA – AMZ Manufacturing Co. (AMZ), an electroplating, painting, and assembly business, violated federal law when it subjected female employees to a hostile work environment because of their sex, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, two female employees at AMZ’s facility in York, Pennsylvania, were subjected to sexually charged and demeaning sex-based comments from male co-workers and supervisors. One of the women endured cat-calling and vulgar comments about female anatomy, and was told that a male employee wanted to “mount” her, while another female employee was subjected to crude comments about her sexual orientation, to sexual overtures, and to inappropriate touching, the agency charged. According to the lawsuit, AMZ failed to take effective action to stop the harassment, despite receiving complaints from both women.
Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. AMZ Manufacturing Co., Civil Action No. 1:23-CV-01587) in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief.
“Sexual harassment continues to be a prevalent issue in traditionally male-dominated industries like manufacturing,” said EEOC Philadelphia Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence. “Federal law ensures that all employees can work in an environment free from unwelcome sexual advances, comments and touching.”
Philadelphia District Director Jamie R. Williamson added, “The EEOC is committed to holding accountable employers who fail to prevent and immediately correct sexual harassment.”
The lawsuit was commenced by the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, which investigates discrimination charges and prosecutes cases arising out of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and parts of New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia.
For more information on sexual harassment, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.
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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