Filed Date: Jan. 8, 2004
Closed Date: 2008
Clearinghouse coding complete
EEOC's Washington DC and Charlotte, NC offices jointly filed this sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against the defendant, Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Caroline (Asheville)) on 01/08/2004. EEOC alleged on behalf of three female employees at defendants' Shelby, NC restaurant that the defendant condoned a supervisor's sexual harassment activities, including inappropriate physical and verbal conduct. EEOC also claimed that the hostile work environment resulted in the constructive discharge of one employee. The constructively discharged employee intervened in the suit.
The parties settled without engaging in much discovery. A three-year consent decree was entered on 01/26/2005.
Under the decree, the defendant would pay the three complainants a total of $150,000 in back pay. The defendant must eliminate records of the lawsuit and relevant events from the employees' employment records and provide neutral letters of reference. Prohibited from discriminating and retaliating on the basis of sex in the future, the defendant must also provide annual training to all employees at the Shelby, NC restaurant. Additionally, the defendant was required to distribute its revised EEO policies and post notice of the settlement of the lawsuit. The decree was to last for three years. The docket sheet doesn't show any further enforcement took place; the case was presumably closed in 2008.
Summary Authors
Justin Kanter (6/17/2007)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4304847/parties/eeoc-v-ryans-fam-steak-hou/
Howell, Dennis L. (North Carolina)
Howell, Dennis L. (North Carolina)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4304847/eeoc-v-ryans-fam-steak-hou/
Last updated June 3, 2022, 3:07 a.m.
State / Territory: North Carolina
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
IWPR/Wage Project Consent Decree Study
Key Dates
Filing Date: Jan. 8, 2004
Closing Date: 2008
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
Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc. (Shelby, NC), Private Entity/Person
Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc. (Jacksonville, NC), 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: 150000
Order Duration: 2005 - 2008
Content of Injunction:
Expungement of Employment Record
Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Provide antidiscrimination training
Issues
General:
Discrimination-area:
Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Discrimination-basis:
Affected Gender:
EEOC-centric: