What Are Some Legal Issues Involved If You Settle Out of Court?
Over the past few months, twelve female plaintiffs have filed a number of federal lawsuits against Publix on behalf of female employees who say they were subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination during their employment at the grocery chain. In April of this year, the company settled a second-class-action discrimination lawsuit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a separate complaint for $781.4-million.
Most of the complaints that have been filed are from female employees and come from all ages, including pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as some African-American and Hispanic females. It is common for plaintiffs to include an incident that occurred during an off-site training or from their personal experiences. The plaintiffs are suing both Publix and a third-party management consultant in a bid to obtain more than $40-million in damages.
Two lawsuits were filed against the company for its failure to provide safe working conditions, namely its handling of complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination. Another case was filed on behalf of a woman who said she was sexually harassed by a male manager while working at Publix. Most of the complaints are coming from female employees, but some of them are also coming from other females who may have witnessed any type of inappropriate behavior between a male employee and a female customer. Most of the complaints that are being lodged are from female employees who were hired prior to March of 2020.
It is possible that many of the lawsuits will be dismissed or that the company will settle with plaintiffs. As of now, a number of lawsuits against Publix are still pending. One such case involved a man who says he was sexually harassed by an employee while working at the store.
When a plaintiff decides to take legal action against Publix, the company has two main avenues it can pursue to defend itself from these claims. First, it can appeal the ruling by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This decision upholds the company’s right to hire and employ employees regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. In addition, the company is protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which states that employers cannot discriminate against an individual because of race, gender, religion, national origin, and/or sex.
Most lawsuits against Publix that result in settlements, or that are the subject of court action by the courts, are related to sexual harassment and discrimination. While some lawsuits are filed because of verbal harassment, many are filed because of acts of sexual assault.
A lot of lawsuits involve accusations of inappropriate touching while employees are on-site. Most of the lawsuits against Publix, and in particular the one against the alleged harasser, were filed in response to a report of inappropriate touching by a male employee toward a female.
Sexual discrimination or harassment lawsuits are not the only ones that bring issues of sexual discrimination against the store. There are also suits that claim that the store discriminated against female employees because of their age, pregnancy, disability, pregnancy and childbirth, or other conditions that can result in physical injury or death. These types of lawsuits are generally brought under the Civil Rights Act.
If a complaint is filed in court about discrimination or other issues, the company has to defend itself in court, or it must notify the EEOC of the situation and ask for legal action against the accused party. If there are grounds to sue, such as discrimination, then the company can bring a lawsuit and request a judge to issue a restraining order that prevents the accused party from continuing to commit the same offenses.
It is important to note that lawsuits against Publix that involve sexual harassment and/or sexual discrimination do not include complaints about discrimination based on age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender. It is also important to note that not every lawsuit filed against the store is necessarily related to sexual harassment.
The above paragraphs should help you understand what you may be facing if you are the subject of a lawsuit filed against Publix. There are a variety of situations where a lawsuit against the store is a possibility.
PUBLIX NEEDS TO HIRE HR PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO INVESTIGATE A SEXUAL TOUCH COMPLAINT THEY DO NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND REALIZE NOT EVERY COMPLAINT IS TRUE. THAT SOMEONE WHO FEELS AS IF BEING A LESBIAN IS A SIN FILES A SEXUAL TOUCH COMPLAINT AGAINST A LESBIAN WHO TOUCHED A MALE INNAPROPRIATE? I HOPE PUBLIX EVENTAULLY GOES UNDER FOR HAVING TO PAY OUT LAWSUITS ONE AFTER ANOTHER. I WONDER IF THEY ARE INVOLVED ALSO IN THE SEX TRAFFICKING ALSO, YOU EVER QUESTION WHY THEY ALLOW YOUNG WOMAN TO BRING OUT GROCERIES TO VEHICLES FOR MEN AND WOMAN WHO ARE QUITE CAPABLE OF BRINGING AND LOADING THEIR OWN GROCERIES INTO THEIR VEHICLE.?? PUBLIX NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND THE LABOR BOARD NEEDS TOHAVE A VISIT WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY DISLIKE YOU IF YOU ARE NOT STRAIGHT OR WHITE. AND THIS IS TRUE LOOK AT THE CASES AGAINS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE IN THE LGBTQ . I WILL BE FILING SUIT AGAINST THE PUBLIX WAREHOUSE IN LAKELAND