Filed Date: Sept. 29, 2000
Closed Date: 2005
Clearinghouse coding complete
In September 2000, the Tampa Area Office of the EEOC (with participation from the Miami District Office) brought this suit against Thompson & Ward Leasing Co., Inc. and Physicians Leasing Co., Inc. (d/b/a Physicians Leasing Co. of Ohio) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida alleging discrimination on the basis of sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the complaint alleged that the defendant subjected the charging party, a female employee, and other similarly situated female employees to a sexually hostile work environment consisting of unwelcome sexual comments, pornography, and physical touching. In addition, the defendant retaliated against the charging party by subjecting her to disparate terms and conditions of employment and eventually terminating her because she complained of the harassment. The charging party intervened in the suit in January 2001. After some discovery, the defendants filed two motions for summary judgment in November 2001, followed a day later by a partial motion for summary judgment by the plaintiffs. All three motions were denied in January 2002. The parties participated in mediation in March 2002. Shortly after, they filed a proposed consent decree with the court in late April and settled through a consent decree in June 2002.
The three-year decree, containing non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required the defendants to: distribute their sexual harassment policies to employees, provide annual sexual harassment training for their managers and supervisors, report to the EEOC at specified intervals, post a notice of the decree, and pay $45,000.
Summary Authors
Michele Marxkors (7/6/2007)
Last updated May 12, 2022, 8 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Florida
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 29, 2000
Closing Date: 2005
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Physicians Leasing Co., Inc. (St. Augustine, FL), Private Entity/Person
Thompson & Ward Leasing Co., Inc. (St. Augustine, FL), Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e
Availably Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Amount Defendant Pays: 45000
Order Duration: 2002 - 2005
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Provide antidiscrimination training
Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law
Issues
General:
Discrimination-area:
Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Other Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc)
Discrimination-basis:
Affected Gender:
EEOC-centric: