The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a lawsuit against a Slim Chickens franchisee in central Arkansas after the business allegedly failed to address complaints of sexual harassment.
Simply Slims LLC and/or Dixie Chicken LLC is accused of failing to take action against a shift manager who allegedly harassed teenage girls and young women employed by the business.
According to the lawsuit, a female employee told the franchise group’s general manager that a shift manager had made inappropriate sexual comments. The shift manager would also allegedly rub workers’ shoulders, poke them in inappropriate places, and even groped one young female employee.
The EEOC said that several employees eventually quit over the harassment.
Slim Chickens is headquartered in Fayetteville. Simply Slims LLC and/or Dixie Chicken LLC has 13 locations in central Arkansas.
Fayetteville attorney Eva Madison is representing the franchisee. In a statement, she said the group takes complaints of sexual harassment “very seriously” and has a formal policy for reporting such conduct. But in this case, Madison said, human resources wasn’t made aware of the allegations because they weren’t properly reported.
“Had the policy been followed, this matter could have been resolved quickly,” she said.
Both sides said they tried to reach a pre-litigation settlement. Madison described her client’s offer as “generous.” She expressed doubt that the EEOC had conveyed the offer to an employee behind the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges violations Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. It seeks monetary relief in the form of back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, compensation for lost benefits, and an injunction against future discrimination.
Sign up for Daily E-news
