Federal authorities have ordered a trucking company to pay a monetary penalty to settle a suit over alleged sexual harassment of female workers by the company’s owner.
Wyoming-based Waller’s Trucking Company, Inc., was ordered to pay $124,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on September 30, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The suit accused Waller’s owner of sexually harassing two female workers for several years, leading to their “forced resignation.”
The EEOC alleged that the owner “frequently made crude and sexually explicit comments to female employees in front of their coworkers and over the mobile radio system. He also inappropriately grabbed female employees without their permission.”
The suit accuses Waller’s of failing to respond to sexual harassment complaints, creating a hostile workplace.
In addition to the monetary penalty, Waller’s must also issue a letter of apology to the victims, revise and distribute its anti-harassment and anti-retaliation policies, post a notice in the workplace informing employees of the settlement, and provide specialized training to supervisors and employees.
“The EEOC was pleased to work together with Waller’s to reach an early resolution to this case, which includes significant monetary relief and important policy changes to help prevent future unlawful harassment,” said Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District. “Owner harassment is a particularly harmful form of harassment because employees often feel they have no recourse or way to complain. The EEOC welcomes the opportunity to work with employers who seek to ensure their workers are free from a sexually hostile work environment.”