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Casino to pay for sex harassment
21/08/2007 11:46 - (SA)
Los Angeles - Las Vegas's iconic Caesars Palace resort casino will pay $850 000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the US Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency said on Monday.
The EEOC alleged in a suit filed in April 2005 that several mainly
Hispanic women working in the resort's kitchen were the victims of
"repeated and sometimes severe" sexual harassment, a statement said.
The suit alleged that in some cases male supervisors had demanded
sex from workers or face being fired. In addition, supervisors were
alleged to have "performed other lewd acts on or in front of women",
the statement said.
Women who lodged complaints over the conduct of management suffered
discrimination in the form of demotions, loss of wages, further
harassment, discipline or dismissal, the EOCC added.
"In a case like this where many of the workers were monolingual
Spanish speakers, victims of sexual harassment often feel further
isolated, and unable to vindicate their rights," EEOC attorney Anna
Park said.
Settlement deal
"This case also illustrates that employers need to ensure their
policies and procedures provide adequate avenues for complaint and
redress to non-English speakers."
Under the settlement deal, Caesars Palace agreed to pay $850 000 to employees who had been harassed or retaliated against, the
agency said.
Caesars Palace is owned and operated by the Las Vegas-based Harrah's
Entertainment, which took over the casino in June 2005, after the
allegations surfaced.
Harrah's spokesman Alberto Lopez said the supervisors implicated in
the discrimination claim were no longer employed by the casino.
"We have resolved the matter amicably to bring closure to a subject
that is almost five years old, nearly three years prior to Harrah's
acquisition of Caesars, and is alleged to have involved supervisors who
haven't worked at Caesars Palace for more than four years," Lopez said.
"While we deny wrongdoing, it is in the best interest of all parties
to put this matter to rest and move on," he added.
- AFP
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South Africa
