Woman reports co-worker exposing himself to her — and NC company fires her, feds say
The only woman working a daily shift at a North Carolina auto parts facility endured graphic sexual comments and groping from her male co-workers, according to a lawsuit.
Her reports of the constant harassment were ignored by a company supervisor and other managers until she lost her job at Enforge, LLC’s location in Albemarle, a complaint filed in federal court on Dec. 21 states.
The woman was fired days after she told a manager that a male co-worker exposed his genitals to her on a break in October 2020, according to the complaint.
Now the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity is suing Enforge, LLC, accusing it of sexual harassment and retaliating against the woman by firing her, the agency announced in a Dec. 21 news release.
“An employer does not have the option of looking the other way when it becomes aware of sexual harassment in the workplace,” Melinda C. Dugas, a regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District, said in a statement.
McClatchy News contacted Enforge, LLC on Dec. 23 and didn’t immediately receive a response.
The lawsuit comes more than 30 days after the woman filed a discrimination charge with the EEOC, the complaint states. After the agency tried unsuccessfully reaching a pre-litigation settlement with Enforge, LLC, the EEOC proceeded with the case, according to the release.
The woman’s experience working for Enforge, LLC
Almost immediately after the woman was hired as a tie rod inspector for Enforge, LLC’s assembly line in Albemarle in August 2020, several of the seven male employees she worked with started harassing her, according to the complaint.
The regular harassment “included vulgar sexual comments, propositions for sex, threatening behavior” and unwelcome groping as she worked seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the complaint states.
On one occasion, after the death of a family member, she was told she’d “feel better” about it if “she had sex with the male employees,” according to the EEOC.
Although she repeatedly spoke out against the harassment and asked her co-workers to stop, it was to no avail, the complaint says. Complaining to the company’s management and requesting to switch shifts also proved to be unsuccessful, the EEOC said.
The woman ends up getting fired
In October 2020, one of the male employees, who officials said had previously groped the woman, was promoted to lead the assembly line she was stationed at, according to the complaint.
On Oct. 22, this employee was accused of exposing his genitals to her while she took her break, the complaint states.
The woman immediately reported this to a supervisor and told a production manager the next day, according to the EEOC.
In response, the manager told her to take some time off from work, promising to “figure it out,” and said to call him the next Monday before returning, the complaint says.
On Oct. 26, the production manager never picked up the phone when she called and fired her, according to the EEOC.
The agency says the worker was “deprived” of equal job opportunities in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Dugas said employers need to respond to harassment instead of retaliating against employees who bring complaints to them.
Enforge, LLC’s Albemarle facility is about 40 miles east of Charlotte.
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Woman reports co-worker exposing himself to her — and NC company fires her, feds say."
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