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7mo ago

Justin Vineyards, Wonderful Co. Settle EEOC Harassment Case for $1.49 Million

The deal imposes new workplace rules to curb harassment.

Guests at Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles in 2018. In 2022, Justin Vineyards & Winery and its parent company, the Wonderful Company, was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly allowing male supervisors to subject female co-workers and customers to sexual harassment.

Overview

  • The EEOC said Justin Vineyards & Winery and parent company The Wonderful Company will pay $1.49 million to resolve a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit.
  • A federal judge approved a consent decree that ends the 2022 case and binds the companies to specific remedies.
  • The suit alleged that, since at least August 2017, male supervisors subjected women to unwelcome touching, forced kissing, explicit comments, and sexually explicit texts.
  • The EEOC said complaints were mishandled and some workers who spoke up were assigned extra shifts, berated by supervisors, or felt forced to quit.
  • Beyond the payout, the settlement requires policy changes, reporting, and compliance audits, while the company denies the allegations and says it acted decisively, and the EEOC points to wider problems in food and restaurant workplaces.