MARTINSBURG – A federal agency is suing a corporation that operates a Mexican restaurant in West Virginia over allegations of discrimination.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia against Las Trancas of Martinsburg Inc. alleging hostile work environment because of sex and other counts.
According to the complaint, Raquel Ramirez Rivera and Virginia Sanchez Garcia are former employees of the defendant who had to resign because of harassment because of their sex and other factors.
The suit states that on Aug. 4, 2017, the plaintiff issued defendant a letter of determination finding reasonable cause that it violated Title VII and provided the defendant the opportunity to remedy its discriminatory practices. The suit states the plaintiff was unable to secure a conciliation agreement with the defendant.
The plaintiff holds Las Trancas of Martinsburg Inc. responsible because the defendant allegedly subjected Ramirez Rivera and Sanchez Garcia to unlawful and discriminatory employment practices and failed to take prompt and effective action to prevent or correct the harassment.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks permanent injunction enjoining the defendant from engaging in discriminatory practices and an order to provide equal employment opportunities and to make aggrieved employees whole again and such other proper and necessary relief and costs of this action. It is represented by James L. Lee, Gwendolyn Young Reams, Debra M. Lawrence and Ronald L. Phillips of the EEOC.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number 3:18-cv-00116-JPB