A former employee of the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Brandon, Florida claims that he was a victim of sexual harassment while working as a line chef for the company and is now taking legal action over the matter. The 42-year-old man has filed a federal lawsuit against the restaurant chain and is seeking compensation for "mental anguish and loss of dignity," as stated by Brandon News and Tribune.
The plaintiff Michael Knight claims that other line chefs in the Cheesecake Factory continually grabbed each others' buttocks and genitalia and simulated sexual intercourse in front of him. He says that he was mocked, punished, and later terminated from his position after expressing discomfort with such behavior.
The lawsuit against the Cheesecake Factory is very similar to another lawsuit that was filed against the company last year in Arizona, which settled for $345,000. The case involved six employees at Cheesecake Factory that were allegedly subjected to sexual harassment in an Arizona location. As part of the settlement, the restaurant chain was supposed to train its employees and managers about sexual harassment and institute an ombudsman to address employees' sexual harassment complaints.
There are many Cheesecake Factory locations in the state of Texas, including restaurants in Houston, Sugar Land, and Woodlands. Sexual harassment is illegal in the state and at the federal level under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Anybody that is subjected to sexual harassment as an employee should contact a Houston employment lawyer to learn more information on filing a harassment claim.
Related Resources:
- Office Conduct Regarding Sexual Harassment (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)
- Find a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Sexual Harassment Facts (FindLaw)
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