Tavern on the Green, the landmark New York City restaurant, agreed on Monday to pay $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit in which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The EEOC accused Tavern on the Green of severe racial and sexual discrimination, saying that the restaurant had "engaged in severe and pervasive" sexual and racial harassment of female, black and Hispanic employees.
"Verbally, female employees were subjected to repeated comments related to sexual positions, sexual acts, female genitalia and even demands for sexual favors," Kam S. Wong, a lawyer for the commission, said at a news conference. "Physically, female employees were also grabbed, groped and fondled."
According to the settlement, the $2.2 million will be distributed to more than 50 people who were victims of harassment and retaliation involved in incidents dating from 1999. In addition, the restaurant will establish a telephone hotline that employees can use to report discrimination complaints.
In 2007, Tavern on the Green made revenues of $38 million from more than 500,000 visitors. The restaurant has several dining rooms, but the most famous is the Crystal Room, which has a great view of Central Park.
Tavern on the Green, which opened in 1934, is the second highest-grossing independently-owned restaurant in the United States, behind The Venetian's Tao restaurant in Las Vegas at $67 million.
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