RICHLAND, Wash.-Fred Meyer is being sued for alleged sexual harassment and for fostering a hostile work environment for female employees at its Richland store.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit against Fred Meyer in Benton County District Court on July 16.
The lawsuit alleges that the Richland Fred Meyer engaged in unlawful employment practices based on the sex of workers since at least 2017 and that the store “failed to take prompt or effective corrective action to stop the harassment,” according to court documents.
A male clerk in the home department of the store repeatedly subjected women employees to verbal and physical sexual conduct, according to the lawsuit, including staring, touching, making remarks about their bodies, following them and forcing them to interact with him.
According to court documents, a female apparel manager reported the behavior to Fred Meyer’s human resources department in 2020, however, management failed to adequately respond and the male clerk’s behavior continued.
The lawsuit alleges that between 2017 and 2021, the male clerk allegedly made inappropriate sexual comments to a 17-year-old female clerk, including inviting her to his cabin, following her home and repeatedly approaching her at work.
According to court documents, the male clerk was reportedly suspended for a few days in March of 2021 after allegedly staring at another female clerk, making remarks about her body and touching her apron near her genitals.
The EEOC’s lawsuit against Fred Meyer seeks a permanent injunction to prevent the retailer from employment practices that discriminate on the basis of sex.
The lawsuit also asks the court to order Fred Meyer to implement policies to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and seeks compensation for the victims for past and future expenses, as well as punitive damages.
