California employment lawyers have been
coming across more cases of sexual harassment that feature same-sex harassment. The Equal Employment Opportunities
Commission has also confirmed that it is seeing more complaints of male-on-male
sexual harassment.
Recently, a New York City steakhouse agreed
to settle charges of sexual harassment, involving at least 22 male
waiters. The Sparks Steakhouse has
agreed to settle the charges by paying $600,000.
A complaint of sexual harassment had been
made against Sparks to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission back in
2009. The complaint alleged that
managers engage in misconduct that included blatant and physical sexual
harassment. Male employees
regularly had their buttocks pinched, while managers would grind their genitals
into waiter’s buttocks. Grabbing
and groping were commonplace.
The waiters alleged in their lawsuit that they
complained several times to the managers, but no action was taken. Sparks Steakhouse however denies these
allegations. The company has also
not admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The settlement is likely to grab attention,
because there have been an increasing number of cases of male-on-male sexual
harassment reported to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. According to the Commission,
approximately 16% of the sexual harassment complaints that came before it were
brought by men. Last year, the
rate was 12%. Between 1992 and
2008, the number of sexual harassment lawsuits filed by men doubled.
Another high-profile sexual harassment
lawsuit was filed by the Cheesecake Factory. In 2008, the company settled charges filed by at least 6
male staff members at the Cheesecake Factory. According to the charges, these men were frequently subject
to groping, grabbing, and simulated rape by their superiors. The Cheesecake Factory denied those
charges, but agreed to settle for $340,000.
