A federal jury in Oxford, Mississippi, has awarded $225,000 to three men who alleged they were subjected to sexual harassment from another man at Hill Brothers Construction Company and Engineering Company, Inc.
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Download NowThe U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in its lawsuit that Hill Brothers discriminated against Scott Beasley, Joel Graves, and Douglas Smith by subjecting them to a sexually hostile work environment.
After a week-long trial, the jury awarded $75,000 each to Beasley, Graves, and Smith as punitive damages in the case, which was presided over by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills.
Beasley, Graves, and Smith were hired as truck drivers for Hill Brothers. Beginning in 2001, all three complained of harassment from another male employee, the EEOC says. The agency alleges that the harassment included sexually offensive comments and unwanted physical contact.
Although the jury did not award any back pay or compensatory damages, the EEOC says it will request the court to consider the award of additional damages and also will seek injunctive relief against Hill Brothers.
"Some employers may view male-on-male harassment as 'horseplay' or 'boys being boys' but this kind of intentional discrimination can cause needless suffering and permanent scars for employees--not to mention creating liability issues for employers who violate federal law," says C. Emanuel Smith of the EEOC.
The EEOC recently reported that the proportion of sexual harassment suits filed by men hit a record high in 2006. The portion of sexual harassment complaints filed by men increased from 9.1 percent in 1992 to a record 15.4 percent in 2006, according to the EEOC.