Maryland-Based Big Vanilla Athletic Club Settles Sex Harassment Suit

Holding:

BVP, LLC and N.F.A.C., Inc., doing business respectively as Big Vanilla Pasadena and Big Vanilla Athletic Club, athletic clubs based in Maryland, will pay a total of $161,000 and furnish other substantial relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). In addition to the monetary relief to plaintiffs Joella Hopkins (“Hopkins”), Michelle Cabral (“Cabral”), Dawn Wooden (“Wooden”), and Melissa Mendez (“Mendez”), the three-year decree settling the suit enjoined both clubs from engaging in harassment on the basis of sex and from retaliating against employees who complain about it. The companies agreed to monitoring by the EEOC, to train its current and future managers on anti-discrimination laws, and to post notices stating its commitment to maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Detailed Summary:

Plaintiff EEOC filed this suit against defendants BVP, LLC and NFAC, Inc. (“defendants”), alleging that defendants violated Section 703(a)(1) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (“Title VII”), 42 U.S.C. §2000e-2(a)(1), by discriminating against a class of women on the basis of sex and by creating a hostile work environment for the class, including Hopkins, Cabral, Wooden, and Mendez ; and violating Section 704(a) of Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3(a) by retaliating against Hopkins, Cabral, and Wooden for complaining about discrimination. Defendants dened all of these allegations.

The EEOC said Hopkins, Mendez, Cabral and Wooden…

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