CRST awarded $4.5M fees in sexual harassment suit

Discussion in 'Truckers News' started by Rocks, Feb 26, 2012.

  1. Feb 26, 2012 #1
    Rocks

    Rocks Road Train Member

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    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit in its own name against CRST Van Expedited, Inc. (CRST), alleging that CRST subjected Monika Starke "and approximately 270 similarly situated female employees" to a hostile work environment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. Starke and Remcey Jeunenne Peeples intervened in the EEOC-instituted action and individually pursued their respective hostile work-environment claims against CRST, as well as claims for unlawful retaliation under Title VII and Iowa state law.
    The district court ruled in CRST's favor on a series of dispositive motions that collectively disposed of the entire action. The district court also awarded CRST $92,842.21 in costs and $4,467,442.90 in attorneys' fees and expenses, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(k) and 28 U.S.C. § 1920, as a sanction for the EEOC's failure to reasonably investigate and conciliate in good faith its claims against CRST.

    Here is the link to the article above

    http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20FCO%2020120222224.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR

    And the link to the title...

    http://www.overdriveonline.com/crst-awarded-fees-in-sexual-harassment-suit/


     
    Rocks, Feb 26, 2012
    Rocks, Feb 26, 2012
    #1
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  3. Feb 27, 2012 #2
    TruckerDesiree

    TruckerDesiree Bobtail Member

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    In the end it will be the taxpayers who pay this judgement because the EEOC was totally unprepared to handle this case. When I spoke to the prosecutor in 2009 they told me that once they got a case that finally caught their attention (perhaps one that was so bad they could not ignore it) they began finding many cases that had been overlooked through the years.

    Tracy Hamm who was part of the case told me she had filed a complaint and no one from EEOC ever contacted her.

    The EEOC prosecutor I spoke to said that as they kept locating more cases, whether this is due to an antiquated computer system, poor follow up by an overworked, out of date staff and system I do not know.

    The female who did not go in on the EEOC class action named Karen Shank & got her own private lawyer won the $1.5M judgement against CRST.

    In the footnotes of the link that was posted above it says:

    "1. In April 2007, CRST added "ReportLine," an independently administered, toll-free hotline that employees may call to report, openly or anonymously, any illegal or improper conduct; ReportLine forwards all personnel-related complaints to H.R. for further review. Because the majority of the alleged harassment predates ReportLine's inception, it is of limited relevance.case"

    But in late December thru January I had a call from a current female student who was having problems at CRST and she never heard of this program. I also called a couple other people who worked at CRST that still have friends there and they said they did away with this program.

    A post I made called "Letter from a Recent Truck Driver Training Grad" tells her story. In this case she was able to go over the heads of the dispatcher to get help from another department to get her moving again and she has graduated so that is good.

    It's too bad the EEOC dropped the ball for these Women , here is a link for the Karen Shank case.

    CRST Driver Wins $1.5 M Harrasment Judgement
    http://thegazette.com/2011/05/10/former-crst-driver-wins-1-5-million-harassment-judgment/

    of course CRST has appealed the decision also and they have deep pockets and political connections but no word on this appeal in which a jury , not a judge and a private law firm not a public one had to tangle with a carrier such as CRST
     
    TruckerDesiree, Feb 27, 2012
    TruckerDesiree, Feb 27, 2012
    #2
    Rocks Thanks this.
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