San Antonio Special Events Firm Sued for Sex-Based Harassment, Retaliation

Great Rentals and Events LLC, a San Antonio, Texas-based special events company that provides services for weddings and corporate functions, has been hit with a federal lawsuit charging the company with sex-based harassment and retaliation.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleges in its lawsuit that the company violated federal law when it subjected a female employee to a hostile work environment based on her sex and then fired her when she brought the harassment to the attention of management.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the company owner repeatedly subjected the employee to comments that were demeaning to women, including sexual comments and other gender-based comments such as that women are “worthless because they have kids” and references to female staff as “little girls.” After complaints to human resources, the company fired the woman in retaliation for her complaints, the EEOC charged.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating based on sex and from retaliating against workers who object to such discrimination. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division (EEOC v. Great Rentals and Events, LLC, Case No. 5:20-cv-448) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The lawsuit asks the court to order the company to provide its former employee with appropriate relief, including back wages, compensatory and punitive damages, and a permanent injunction enjoining the company from engaging in any further discriminatory practices.

The EEOC also asks the court to order the company to institute and carry out policies and practices that prevent sex harassment and retaliation.

Source: EEOC

Topics Lawsuits