Florida restaurant owner pays $200,000 settlement for allowing patron to sexually harass waitresses

Royal Palm Beach, FL- The former owner of Hurricane Grill and Wings franchise in Royal Palm Beach has been ordered to pay $200,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee.

Waitresses at the popular restaurant said that management allowed them to be sexually harassed by a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy. According to the lawsuit, the deputy frequently grabbed the breasts and buttocks of female employees. He would also ask the waitresses to join him and his wife in a ménage a trois. The repeated sexual innuendos made the women feel humiliated.

One of the women attempted to address the issue with management, but her complaints were ignored. She then contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and hired a sexual harassment attorney to assist her with her lawsuit. She was fired as a result.

Retaliation, though illegal, is common in sexual harassment cases. When the victims of harassment are retaliated against, a sexual harassment lawyer can seek compensation for lost wages and emotional distress.

Hurricane Grill and Wings was sold last year, but the previous owner is responsible for paying the $200,000 judgment. The new owners have agreed to offer sexual harassment training to all employees.

Sexual harassment attorneys know how prevalent this sort of harassment is in the workplace. When employees cannot rely on their supervisors to protect them from this behavior they can turn to the EEOC and an attorney to put an end to their abuse.