St. Cloud Area Family YMCA Faces Lawsuit for Alleged Sexual Harassment

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Area Family YMCA is being sued in civil court for sexual harassment.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota Wednesday after attempting to reach a prelitigation settlement. The suit accuses the facility of violating federal laws by subjecting women and teenage girls working at the Y to sexual harassment by one of its managers, failing to take immediate action to stop the harassment, and prompting an employee to resign as a result.

According to the suit, a manager repeatedly pressured one of the employees for sex. The harassment also included unwelcomed sexual comments about women’s bodies and physical appearance and demeaning comments about women.

The alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment.

A statement emailed to KNSI News from YMCA Executive Director Greg Gack said, “We have been cooperating with the EEOC as this matter has unfolded. We take the safety and well-being of our employees very seriously. This is a personnel matter, which led to the termination of the employee in November 2022 following an investigation. Due to the confidentiality of this matter, we are not at liberty to share any other information at this time. We are very intentional in creating a healthy and positive work environment for all employees.”

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