California Eateries Settle EEOC Sex Harassment Suit for $650,000

Swami’s Café and Honey’s Bistro will pay $650,000 to resolve EEOC litigation alleging young female employees, including teenagers, were subjected to sexual harassment and retaliation, the agency announced.

The 2023 lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged that, beginning in 2019, nine locations of Swami’s and Honey’s Bistro permitted the abuse by male supervisors and co-workers, including repeated offensive remarks, unwelcome touching, and advances. That created a hostile work environment for the women, and employees who complained were retaliated against or forced to quit, the suit said.

Under a consent decree approved by US District Court for the Southern ...