DFEH Settles Sexual Harassment Case Against Crescent City Bulb Farm

Sacramento – The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has reached a settlement in a sexual harassment case with Dahlstrom & Watt Bulb Farms, Inc. in Crescent City, as well as two alleged individual harassers, involving a complainant who alleged sexual harassment by her co-workers.

The complainant filed a complaint with DFEH in May 2017 alleging that two of her male coworkers made sexually harassing comments over a course of several months, as well as staring, leering, winking, and licking lips. The complainant alleged that the employer failed to take adequate action after being notified of the harassing behavior, and then terminated her in retaliation.

DFEH found cause to believe a violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act had occurred and engaged in a mandatory mediation session with the respondents on May 1, 2018 in Crescent City. The parties settled the case with both affirmative relief and monetary compensation. The respondent employer agreed to pay a total of $15,000 to the complainant.

“Employers have a duty to investigate complaints of sexual harassment and take corrective action when the complaints are substantiated,” said DFEH Director Kevin Kish. “Employers that retaliate against people who make complaints of workplace sexual harassment can expect to be held accountable.”

In addition to a monetary settlement, the employer will develop and implement a written policy against sexual harassment and retaliation and create a clear process for employees to make internal complaints. Managers will undergo three employment-law trainings in the next five years and the employer will provide an annual compliance report to DFEH for the next five years.

Grace Shim, DFEH Staff Counsel, and Nelson Chan, Assistant Chief Counsel, represented DFEH in this mediation.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

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