Three agricultural companies in Santa Maria have agreed to pay $900,000 and take other measures to settle claims raised in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sexual harassment and retaliation discrimination lawsuit, the federal agency announced.
Produce processing company Fresh Venture Foods LLC and its sales and marketing companies, Gold Coast Packing Inc. and Babé Farms Inc., were named in the legal action.
The federal class-action lawsuit claimed that male workers at Fresh Venture Foods and various staff agencies subjected female workers at the Santa Maria facilities to ongoing verbal and physical sex harassment.
Those acts included frequent, unwanted groping of their bodies; unwelcome sexual advances and comments about their appearance; propositions for sex; and repeatedly asking them out on dates.
The suit also alleged that the defendants failed to adequately respond to multiple complaints, that some female employees were subjected to retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment, and that some employees quit because of intolerable working conditions.
“Sexual harassment is a persistent problem in the agricultural industry,” said Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office. “The EEOC will continue to enforce federal law to ensure that all workers are afforded equal employment opportunities.”
The verbal and physical harassment the women faced was “severe and/or pervasive,” according to court documents. Despite numerous complaints, the employers failed to investigate the allegations or take other measures.
Federal regulators said the conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex.
“Retaliation and sexual harassment often go hand in hand,” said Christine Park-Gonzalez, district director for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District. “Employers are responsible for immediately addressing complaints of sexual harassment without negative repercussions for workers who are brave enough to come forward.”
U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall on Monday entered the consent decree, which settled the lawsuit filed in 2021.
Attorneys for the three firms did not respond to a request for comment about the settlement.
Along with providing $900,000 in monetary relief for a class of female workers, the decree also requires the firms to take additional extensive measures.
For instance, the companies must hire a third-party monitor; provide significant training and robust reporting mechanisms; establish a centralized tracking system for complaints; provide notice of Title VII protections to all employees of the defendant staffing agencies; and update the companies’ anti-discrimination policies.
For more information on sexual harassment, visit eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information on retaliation, visit eeoc.gov/retaliation.