Justin Vineyards & Winery and The Wonderful Company to Pay $1.49 Million in EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit

LOS ANGELES - Justin Vineyards & Winery LLC, a Paso Robles, California winery featuring a Michelin-starred restaurant, tasting rooms and accommodations and global food and beverage company The Wonderful Company LLC, will pay $1.49 million and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, since at least August 2017, the companies allowed a class of female employees to be subjected to sexual harassment by male supervisors, co-workers and customers. The companies did not properly handle complaints, leaving employees vulnerable to ongoing harassment. The alleged harassment included recurring, frequent and offensive sex-based remarks, advances and unwelcome touching. As a result of this hostile work environment, employees complained and were then subjected to retaliation or forced to quit their jobs, the suit said.

"We commend Justin Vineyards & Winery LLC and The Wonderful Company LLC for reaching a resolution of this matter that will benefit all employees," said Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office. "The policy changes and reporting to which the companies agreed are important steps in ensuring a workplace free of discrimination."

This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a hostile workplace environment based on sex, including sexual harassment, as well as retaliation against individuals who complain about sexual harassment or engage in other protected activity. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Justin Vineyards & Winery LLC, et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-06039) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

"Sexual harassment in the restaurant and food service industries is a widespread problem the EEOC seeks to address," said Christine Park-Gonzalez, director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office. "We commend employees for speaking up about mistreatment in the workplace."

For more information on sexual harassment and retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment and https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation .

The EEOC's Los Angeles District Office has jurisdiction over central and Southern California, Southern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands with offices in Los Angeles, Fresno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Honolulu. For more information on the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/field-office/losangeles/location .

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .