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EEOC Settles Sexual Harassment And Retaliation Lawsuit Against Texas Funeral Home For $135,000

October 20, 2022

The EEOC announced that it settled an employment discrimination lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division (Civil Action No. 4:21-cv-00731) against Sachse, Texas-based Charles W. Smith & Sons Funeral Home and Metro Mortuary and Crematory. The employer will pay $135,000 and be required to provide annual training to all employees to settle allegations that the owner and funeral director subjected 4 female employees to a hostile work environment at both the company’s Sachse mortuary and the McKinney funeral home. It’s also alleged he made numerous crude sexual comments and sexual propositions to the women, subjected them to un­wel­come physical touching and also offered money for sexual acts. The defendants will also have to hire a professional human resources monitor to whom employees can report sexual harassment and who will ensure compliance with the decree.

Even after the sexual harassment was reported to other supervisors and managers, the EEOC says no responsive or remedial actions were taken. Instead, according to the EEOC, 1 of the female employees was removed from the work schedule following her report of sex harassment and the other 3 were forced to resign.

The EEOC argued that the alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits dis­crimination based on sex, including sexual harassment, and retaliation for complaining about it. Civil Action No. 4:21-cv-00731, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.    

Employees should not be punished for reporting such abuse. If you need help with a sexual harassment, retaliation or an employment discrimination case, Pietrucha Law Firm can help you move forward. Our firm regularly files EEOC Charges of Discrimination, writes EEOC Position Statements and works with federal investigators to review witnesses and evidence.  We help employees and employers settle employment cases pre-litigation and can file or defend federal lawsuits. Book your consultation online or call 630-344-6370 .

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