Burlingame Restaurant Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Christina Cole

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Owners of a now defunct Burlingame restaurant must compensate their former female employees a total of $230,000 for sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced.

First Watch Restaurant, part of a corporation that has moved it's only California location out of state, has been ordered to pay the money as part of a settlement. Additionally, the corporation must also revamp their anti-discrimination policies and sexual harassment training.

The settlement involved at least two women and a 16-year-old girl. According to EEOC District Director Joan Ehrlich, often times minors are the ones who are most affected by inappropriate behavior within the restaurant industry and there may be more who are yet to come forward in this case.

The suit alleged that while First Watch Restaurants did have sexual harassment policies in place, it failed to implement them on a local level. Based in Bradenton Florida, the corporation operates 52 breakfast and lunch restaurants located in seven different states.

William Tamayo, the lead attorney in the case, said First Watch was cooperative in settling the lawsuit.
``We are optimistic that their training programs and complaint procedures put in place by the consent decree will prevent further instances of harassment,'' Tamayo said.

A spokesperson for First Watch declined to comment this morning.