Posted on 07/18/2006 6:03:55 PM PDT by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Jose Mercury News has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a same-sex harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a man who said he endured sexual comments and touching from a mailroom supervisor, officials said today.
Mark Newton, 45, of Brentwood, who is married with children, said a former male supervisor harassed him from October 2002 to June 2003, leading him to seek medical treatment for emotional distress.
"These practices include subjecting Mr. Newton to harassment on the basis of his sex, male, which created an offensive, abusive, intimidating and hostile work environment," said the EEOC's suit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
In a statement released today by the commission, Newton described himself as a middle-aged, white male who was married with children.
"I am probably the last person you would expect to find seeking help from the EEOC," Newton said. "The harassment I faced at work is something no one should have to go through, male or female. It was very destructive."
Kathleen Slattery, vice president of human resources and labor relations for the Mercury News, declined to discuss specifics of the case today, citing employee privacy issues.
"We have investigated the matter, and we have dealt with it appropriately," Slattery said. "The EEOC is satisfied; the matter is resolved. The Mercury News will not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind. We address each case seriously and expeditiously."
As part of a consent decree signed Friday by U.S. Magistrate Howard Lloyd, the newspaper must reissue its sexual-harassment policy to employees and supervisors, and all mailroom workers and managers must undergo two hours of training regarding sexual harassment and retaliation.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Legacy Media Ping
A knuckle sandwich would have brought the matter to a quick conclusion though I suppose it wouldnt have paid as well
Wuss alert. Good grief.
You gotta love it... the ultimate PC conflict.
Whatever happened to "just beat the crap out of anyone who bothers you"?
He'd probably be prosecuted for a hate crime.
Hate Crime Laws put an end to that. Thanks to them this person would have been sent to jail for defending himself.
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