The owners of a former Greeley country bar and dance hall are on the hook for $100,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit that alleged a laundry list of offenses by one of the now-defunct-bar’s owners.
The lawsuit, brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2022, alleged that Starlite Station’s operator, Murica LLC, created a sexually hostile work environment for female and male employees and retaliated against employees who spoke out against the inappropriate behavior.
As part of the settlement, ‘Murica LLC must also provide required training on equal employment opportunity for managers and employees and have their equal employment opportunities reviewed by a certified professional, among other provisions, according to a news release from the EEOC.
Lastly, one of the bar’s owners, James Jennings, must write an apology letter to each of the employees affected, the release states.
Jennings was accused of touching female employees without their permission, pursuing sexual relationships with them, and asking male employees unwelcome questions about their sex lives. He also made derogatory comments about the appearance of women who applied to work at Starlite, saying some shouldn’t be hired because they were “too ugly,” among other comments, the lawsuit alleged.
Starlite was also accused of retaliating against employees who complained or spoke up about Jennings’s conduct by threatening to discipline or even fire them.
After several former employees made public statements or filed complaints with the EEOC objecting to Jennings’s treatment of female employees, particularly sexual contact with an intoxicated employee, he filed a defamation suit in state court. The EEOC alleged the lawsuit was an unlawful form of retaliation and that settlements reached with certain former employees unlawfully restricted their rights to cooperate with the EEOC investigation, according to the release.
Jennings and his mother, who was also his co-owner, were also accused of improperly using corporate funds to pay a mortgage on a home, personal credit cards and a personal loan. The EEOC argued that since the two used corporate money on personal expenses, their personal assets should be available to satisfy the judgment, according to the release.
“This case demonstrates why owners should not think that they can escape liability simply by closing a business and filing retaliatory defamation lawsuits in an attempt to silence victims,” EEOC regional attorney Mary Jo O’Neill said. “The EEOC will vigorously litigate against retaliatory defamation lawsuits and private settlements that seek to prevent communication with the EEOC and obstruct our enforcement of civil rights laws.”
The agreement states that the settlement does not constitute any admission of wrongdoing.
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