HHS Environmental, LLC, a company providing janitorial and other services to hospitals nationwide, will pay $400,000 and provide other equitable relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to the lawsuit, a group of female housekeepers were repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment by a male employee, who made inappropriate sexual comments and frequently attempted to inappropriately kiss, touch and grab the female employees without their permission. Despite the employees’ multiple and persistent reports of harassment, the EEOC said, the company took no action for over a year to curb the harassment, and it retaliated against the female employees by firing two of them after they reported the sexual harassment. HHS also retaliated against another female victim by doubling her workload until she eventually resigned due to the untenable working conditions. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits sexual harassment.
