Automotive Control Company to Pay $80K Over Sex Discrimination

An automotive quality control company with locations in Michigan, Alabama, Illinois, Tennessee and South Carolina, will pay $80,000 and furnish other relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, the federal agency announced.

A female employee at Formel D USA was sexually harassed by her male supervisor shortly after being hired, according to the EEOC’s lawsuit, The harassment involved constant unwanted sexual advances, unwanted touching, kissing and hugging without the employee’s consent, and showing her a sexually explicit video while at work.

The employee rejected the male supervisor’s sexual advances and, as a result, the supervisor cut her work hours. When she complained to a higher manager, no action was taken by the company, the harassment continued, and the company laid off and eventually fired her.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation for opposing sex discrimination. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Formel D USA, Inc., Case No. 23-cv-11479) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.