Hawks Quindel Teams with EEOC to Challenge Discrimination
Hufcor, Inc. of Janesville, Wisconsin, will pay $120,000 and provide other relief under a consent decree entered in a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission and Katy Degenhardt, who was represented by Hawks Quindel attorney Barbara Zack Quindel.
According to the lawsuit, Ms. Degenhardt, who worked as a machine operator at a Hufcor subsidiary, Total Quality Plastics (TQP) in North Prairie, Wisconsin, was touched inappropriately on a regular basis by her shift coordinator for three years until he was fired in May, 2012. Ms. Degenhardt repeatedly reported the harassment and the retaliation but the plant manager retaliated against her for her complaints by denying her breaks, assigning her difficult work, denying her promotions and unfairly disciplining her. Ms. Degenhardt also alleged that she was unlawfully terminated in retaliation for her complaints about sexual harassment.
In addition to monetary relief, the consent decree signed by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman on August 14, 2015 prohibits future discrimination and provides that Hufcor train its managers regarding sexual harassment and unlawful retaliation, post notices that include information on filing complaints with the EEOC if employees are subjected to discrimination or retaliation, and maintain records, subject to EEOC inspection, on any formal complaints of sexual harassment or retaliation.
“Katy Degenhardt sought a remedy not only for what happened to her, but to help prevent others from being subject to sexual harassment at work, “ said Attorney Quindel. “She had a lot of courage, and her persistent efforts led to the resolution embodied in this Consent Decree.”
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