Case: EEOC v. CRAFTEX WHOLESALE & DISTRIBUTORS INC and ASHCROFT LEASING LLC

4:02-cv-03021 | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Filed Date: Aug. 12, 2002

Closed Date: May 20, 2009

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The EEOC's Houston office filed this suit on August 12, 2002 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The EEOC claimed Craftex Wholesale and Distributors, Inc. and Ashcroft Leasing, Inc. sexually harassed multiple male employees by subjecting them to lewd acts. The EEOC alleged these acts created a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII and represented a pattern and practice of discriminatory behavior. After the defendant answered and the part…

The EEOC's Houston office filed this suit on August 12, 2002 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The EEOC claimed Craftex Wholesale and Distributors, Inc. and Ashcroft Leasing, Inc. sexually harassed multiple male employees by subjecting them to lewd acts. The EEOC alleged these acts created a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII and represented a pattern and practice of discriminatory behavior. After the defendant answered and the parties participated in a scheduling conference, the case progressed for over a year. Then, on February 23, 2004, the court ordered a conditional dismissal due to a settlement announcement. On May 20, 2004 a consent decree was submitted, approved, and entered.

In the consent decree, the defendant agreed to pay $190,000. The EEOC was to determine which employees were eligible to receive payment. Further, the defendant was to set up a special account in which to hold the settlement money, with interest being dispersed to the complainants. The defendant also agreed to institute a sexual harassment policy, create a complaint procedure, provide training for employees, report to the EEOC, and submit to four inspections per year by the EEOC. 1. The terms of the agreement were to run for 5 years. The docket sheet does not show any further enforcement took place; the case was presumably closed in 2009.

Summary Authors

Jason Chester (8/1/2007)

Clearinghouse (6/15/2017)

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

4:02-cv-03021

Docket (PACER)

EEOC v. Craftex Wholesale et al

May 20, 2004

May 20, 2004

Docket
23

4:02-cv-03021

Consent Decree

EEOC v. Craftex Wholesale and Distributors et al

May 20, 2004

May 20, 2004

Settlement Agreement

4:02-cv-03021

EEOC Litigation Settlement Report (June 2004)

EEOC v. Craftex Wholesale and Distributors Inc & Ashcroft Leasing LLC

No Court

June 30, 2004

June 30, 2004

Press Release

Resources

Docket

Last updated April 3, 2024, 3:08 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
2

Order setting Initial Pretrial and Scheduling Conference on 4:30 12/3/02 by telehone before Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt and Order to Disclose Interested Persons, filed. Parties notified. (bchurchill) (Entered: 08/12/2002)

Aug. 12, 2002

Aug. 12, 2002

1 SUMMONS issued for Craftex Wholesale (bchurchill) (Entered: 08/12/2002)

Aug. 12, 2002

Aug. 12, 2002

3

RETURN OF SERVICE executed as to Craftex Wholesale 8/14/02 filed. Answer due on 9/3/02 for Craftex Wholesale (ljackson) (Entered: 08/20/2002)

Aug. 20, 2002

Aug. 20, 2002

4

AMENDED ORDER FOR CONFERENCE AND DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTED PARTIES: Counsel shall appear for an initial pretrial and scheduling conference on 12/2/02 at 4:30 pm before Judge Hoyt by telephone, filed. (Signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ) Ptys notified. (fmremp) Modified on 08/26/2002 (Entered: 08/26/2002)

Aug. 26, 2002

Aug. 26, 2002

Deadline updated; set telephone conference for 4:30 12/2/02 before Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt (fmremp) (Entered: 08/26/2002)

Aug. 26, 2002

Aug. 26, 2002

5

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES by Craftex Wholesale , filed. (ljackson) (Entered: 09/03/2002)

Sept. 3, 2002

Sept. 3, 2002

6

ANSWER to Complaint by Craftex Wholesale (Added attorney Josef Franz Buenker), filed. (ljackson) (Entered: 09/03/2002)

Sept. 3, 2002

Sept. 3, 2002

7

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES by EEOC , filed. (sguevara) (Entered: 09/10/2002)

Sept. 9, 2002

Sept. 9, 2002

8

Joint Report of Meeting and Joint Discovery/Case Management Plan by EEOC, Craftex Wholesale , filed. (sjones) (Entered: 11/20/2002)

Nov. 20, 2002

Nov. 20, 2002

9

ORDER following telephone scheduling conference. Apprs: R Sustaita f/pltf; J Buenker f/deft. Setting Joining of parties 1/31/03 ; Pltf expert witness list and report submitted by 6/30/03 ; Deft expert witness list and report submitted by 7/30/03 ; Discovery cutoff 10/30/03 ; Deadline for filing all dispositive motions 10/30/03 ; Pretrial order to be submitted on or before 12/1/03 ; call deadline 11:30 12/1/03 ; before Kenneth M. Hoyt, entered. Initial disclosures are due on or before 12/17/02. ETT: TBA; jury trial. Parties notified. (Signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt) (ljackson) Modified on 12/06/2002 (Entered: 12/03/2002)

Dec. 2, 2002

Dec. 2, 2002

Deadline updated; notice of compliance due for 12/17/02 (ljackson) (Entered: 12/03/2002)

Dec. 3, 2002

Dec. 3, 2002

10

INITIAL DISCLOSURE by EEOC , filed. (psmith) (Entered: 12/18/2002)

Dec. 17, 2002

Dec. 17, 2002

11

INITIAL DISCLOSURE by Craftex Wholesale , filed. (hlerma) (Entered: 12/23/2002)

Dec. 20, 2002

Dec. 20, 2002

12

MOTION for leave to amend complaint by EEOC, Motion Docket Date 2/19/03 [12-1] motion , filed. (ljackson) (Entered: 01/30/2003)

Jan. 30, 2003

Jan. 30, 2003

13

FIRST AMENDED INITIAL DISCLOSURE by EEOC , filed. (hlerma) (Entered: 02/19/2003)

Feb. 19, 2003

Feb. 19, 2003

15

SUPPLEMENT to [12-1] motion for leave to amend complaint, by EEOC , filed. (psmith) (Entered: 02/27/2003)

Feb. 25, 2003

Feb. 25, 2003

16

NOTICE of change of facisimile number by Josef Buenker atty for Craftex Wholesale , filed (ljackson) (Entered: 02/28/2003)

Feb. 28, 2003

Feb. 28, 2003

17

ORDER granting [12-1] motion for leave to amend complaint , entered; Parties notified. (signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt) (ljackson) (Entered: 03/13/2003)

March 13, 2003

March 13, 2003

18

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT by EEOC amending [1-1] complaint and adding Ashcroft Leasing LLC, filed. (psmith) (Entered: 03/26/2003)

March 25, 2003

March 25, 2003

19

JOINT MOTION to amend scheduling order by EEOC, Craftex Wholesale, Ashcroft Leasing LLC , filed. (tward) (Entered: 09/08/2003)

Sept. 4, 2003

Sept. 4, 2003

20

ORDER granting [19-1] joint motion to amend scheduling order. AMENDED SCHEDULING ORDER: discovery due for 1/31/04 , dispositive motion filing deadline for 1/15/04 , pretrial order due for 3/1/04 , docket call for 11:30 3/1/04 , entered; Parties notified. ( signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ) (psmith) (Entered: 09/09/2003)

Sept. 8, 2003

Sept. 8, 2003

21

Notice of change of address of counsel for Craftex Wholesale , filed. (dhansen) (Entered: 01/15/2004)

Jan. 12, 2004

Jan. 12, 2004

22

ORDER OF DISMISSAL without prejudice on settlement announcement, entered; Parties notified. ( signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ) (sguevara) (Entered: 02/23/2004)

Feb. 23, 2004

Feb. 23, 2004

Case closed (sguevara) (Entered: 02/23/2004)

Feb. 23, 2004

Feb. 23, 2004

23

CONSENT DECREE, entered; Parties notified. ( signed by Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ) (sjones) (Entered: 05/21/2004)

May 20, 2004

May 20, 2004

24

JOINT MOTION to approve , and to enter a consent decree in resolution of suit , by EEOC, Craftex Wholesale, Ashcroft Leasing LLC , filed (psmith) (Entered: 05/24/2004)

May 20, 2004

May 20, 2004

Case Details

State / Territory: Texas

Case Type(s):

Equal Employment

Special Collection(s):

EEOC Study — in sample

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 12, 2002

Closing Date: May 20, 2009

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.

Plaintiff Type(s):

EEOC Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

EEOC

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Ashcroft Leasing LLC, Private Entity/Person

Craftex Wholesale and Distributors, Inc., Private Entity/Person

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Monetary Relief

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Amount Defendant Pays: 190000

Order Duration: 2004 - 2009

Content of Injunction:

Expungement of Employment Record

Discrimination Prohibition

Retaliation Prohibition

Develop anti-discrimination policy

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Implement complaint/dispute resolution process

Reporting

Recordkeeping

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Pattern or Practice

Discrimination-area:

Disparate Treatment

Harassment / Hostile Work Environment

Discrimination-basis:

Sex discrimination

Affected Sex or Gender:

Male

EEOC-centric:

Direct Suit on Merits