EEOC sues Monterey Park food companies for alleged sex harassment

Federal employment regulators Friday sued two Monterey Park food companies for allegedly subjecting workers to verbal and physical sexual harassment and retaliating when they complained.

Pacific Culinary Group Inc. and CB Foods Inc., which are involved in the sale, production, and/or distribution of Asian food products, failed to take “prompt and effective action,” despite having received multiple complaints, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in a federal lawsuit filed in Los Angeles.

A spokesperson for the companies could not immediately be reached for comment.

Since at least 2020, the harassment allegedly perpetrated by the companies’ chief operating officer included, but was not limited to, frequent and offensive unwanted groping and touching, unwelcome sexual advances and comments and inappropriate questions about employees’ sexual preferences and sexual activities, according to the EEOC.

The EEOC also alleged that when employees, both male and female, objected to or reported the harassment, they were retaliated against with further harassment and/or discipline, including termination. The unlawful employment practices resulted in intolerable working conditions, compelling some of the workers to quit, according to regulators.

“The EEOC continues to see employers failing to address and properly remedy harassment in the workplace, despite repeated employee complaints,” Anna Park, regional attorney with the EEOC’s Los Angeles field office, said in a statement.

“Failing to correct harassment opens employers up to liability and tells others such behavior is condoned in the workplace. The EEOC will continue to vigorously enforce anti-discrimination laws to shine a light on and stop harassment and retaliation.”

The alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation. The EEOC says it filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for a class of aggrieved individuals, as well as injunctive relief intended to prevent and correct the alleged discrimination.

“Employers should embrace the opportunity to address harassment and discrimination when it is reported to them,” the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Director Christine Park-Gonzalez said in a statement.

“Retaliation chills others from coming forward and creates a work culture that adversely affects all employees, thereby negatively affecting the company’s brand and bottom line. Addressing such complaints in a timely, fair, and effective manner will benefit all employees.”