‘All the lesbians are fired.’ Boss harassed female workers, New Mexico lawsuit says
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The owner of a non-emergency medical transportation company in New Mexico is accused of harassing female workers, according to a federal lawsuit.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, management at Sandia Transportation LLC harassed female employees for three reasons: “because of their sex, because they were lesbians, or because they did not fit management’s idea of femininity.”
Sandia’s owner also said he didn’t believe women should be in the workplace, officials said in an April 3 news release. Officials did not name the owner of the company in the release.
Sandia Transportation did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
During the alleged harassment, the company’s owner called a group of four female workers “(expletive) lesbians” and individually told them “women like [them] would be killed in [his] country,” officials said in the release. Information about the owner’s country of origin was not included in the release.
He “often referred to women as ‘fat ugly (expletive),’ ‘dumb,’ ‘stupid,’ ‘lazy,’ and ‘ignorant,’ and he frequently told everyone, ‘i hate .. dealing with women!’” officials said in the release.
He’s accused of announcing to the office “All the lesbians are fired!” on March 24, 2017, officials said in the release.
The EEOC filed the suit Friday, March 31, after the agency was unable to reach a settlement agreement, the release said. The lawsuit not only seeks “compensatory and punitive damages for the four women,” but to prevent future discrimination through “injunctive relief.”
The harassment created a hostile work environment, according to Melinda Caraballo, deputy director of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office.
Mary Jo O’Neill, the Phoenix District’s regional attorney, said Sandia’s actions violated federal law and would encourage more harassment.
“An owner telling employees that people like them are killed in his former country invokes a fear of violence for lesbian employees in the workplace,” O’Neill said in the release.
This story was originally published April 5, 2023 at 7:51 AM with the headline "‘All the lesbians are fired.’ Boss harassed female workers, New Mexico lawsuit says."
