The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against O’Reilly Auto Parts in Orlando after three women claimed male employees at the establishment sexually harassed them on a daily basis.
According to the lawsuit, the male employees groped the women, made inappropriate comments and demanded sex. They complained to local managers and the corporate office about their treatment, but were ignored.
The sexual harassment got worse when a male manager, Tracey Clark, grabbed one of them women in February 2016.
“Clark put his arms around (the woman) pinning her to a table in the commercial area, and started doing humping motions,” the lawsuit said. “(She) told Clark to stop, but Clark kept holding her pinned to the table. He let her go when someone walked by.”
Clark allegedly grabbed the woman again a month later and she told him to get his hands off her. The women complained to the new store manager and filed a complaint at the corporate office shortly after the incident.
“Throughout the spring and summer of 2016, (she) cried repeatedly before going to work at O’Reilly,” the lawsuit said. “The sexual harassment had continued, Clark was retaliating against her through increased abusive conduct, and her hours were reduced.”
The woman eventually resigned in August 2016.
According to the lawsuit, another female driver said that Clark offered her oral sex and made vulgar comments toward her.
“The store managers responded with comments such as: ‘You’re grown, right?’; ‘This is how we spend our day.’; ‘No one is going to hurt you.’; ‘I’m sure you can just get over it,'” the lawsuit said.
The female driver was terminated in January 2016 after she requested to be transferred to get away from Clark.
“Other female employees who worked at O’Reilly with Clark were also subjected to daily sexual harassment through touching, comments, and witnessing other female employees being subjected to sexual comments and touching,” according to the lawsuit which is seeking back-pay with interest, and compensation for past and future losses because of emotional pain and humiliation.
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