Overview
- U.S. District Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks approved the agreement Monday, finalizing a two-year consent decree.
- The EEOC’s suit alleged a manager at the Encinitas location and other staff subjected young and teenage female employees to pervasive harassment and retaliation dating back to 2019.
- The $650,000 will be allocated to the initial complainant and other eligible employees, with the EEOC contacting current and former female workers to determine eligibility.
- The decree requires an independent EEO monitor, new complaint procedures and a toll‑free hotline, mandatory training, and posted notices at all covered restaurants.
- The company must remove negative personnel file references tied to complaints and offer reinstatement to former employees who were fired or quit, while it denies wrongdoing and says it has strengthened policies.