(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Area Family YMCA has agreed to pay $140,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three workers.
The Y must also revise its harassment and discrimination policies, periodically survey its employees to monitor for future harassment, and report future complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Y will also need to train management about their obligations under federal law to prevent and take action against sexual harassment.
In September, the EEOC sued the Y for allowing a woman and two teenagers to be repeatedly subjected to harassment by a manager. Court records show the manager made multiple demeaning comments about their bodies and appearance and asked one of the employees for sex multiple times.
The women stated they reported the harassment, but the Y failed to take immediate action to stop it, leading to an employee quitting. The alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment.
In September, 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.”
KNSI has reached out to the YMCA for a statement now that the lawsuit has been settled.
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