Cottage Grove Culver's restaurant faces EEOC lawsuits for worker harassment, discrimination
MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities fast food restaurant is being sued by a federal agency after accusations of employees being harassed and passed over for promotions.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Tuesday that two lawsuits were filed against R & G Endeavors, Inc., which operates the Culver's restaurant in Cottage Grove.
According to the EEOC, several employees were subjected to "a hostile work environment based on race, sex, sexual orientation, and disability."
One worker, a gay Black man, reported being called racist and homophobic slurs by fellow employees and managers.
Another employee, who lives with a disability, reported being bullied, subjected to anti-disability slurs, and paid less than his co-workers.
Several women and teenage girls, some as young as 14, also reported being sexually harassed, including "unwanted touching, jokes, and propositions."
The employees told the EEOC that management didn't address the issues, and no one was punished.
The EEOC says these transgressions violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The commission is seeking monetary relief for the employees, and an order that would force R & G Endeavors, Inc. to prevent further harassment and pay disparities.