Agency files sexual harassment suit against Star Tribune

The EEOC says female employees in the mailroom work in a hostile environment. The newspaper denies the claim and says it took steps to correct improper conduct.

By JAMES WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: September 30, 2008 - 9:36 PM

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Star Tribune on Tuesday on behalf of current and former female employees of the newspaper's mailroom.

The women said that beginning in August 2005 and continuing through the present, they were subjected to, among other things, "sexual harassment (including, but not limited to, propositions for sex, sexually suggestive conduct, favoritism towards female co-workers who participated in sexually provocative conduct, and sexual comments), which further created a sexually hostile work environment," according to the complaint.

Laurie Vasichek, an attorney for the Minneapolis office of the EEOC, said the agency also is "asserting a claim for a class of similarly situated women" at the Star Tribune. "We will be going through the process of identifying several other women," she said.

Star Tribune officials deny the allegations. In its answer to the charges -- also filed in federal court Tuesday -- the Star Tribune said that "supervisors were not involved in the conduct alleged; that the conduct alleged did not occur as described; and that the Star Tribune took prompt and appropriate remedial action to correct any inappropriate conduct alleged, even though it did not rise to the level of illegal sexual harassment."

Benjamin Taylor, Star Tribune senior vice president of communications, said the company immediately investigated the allegations when it learned of them in 2006. The things that were said were inappropriate, Taylor said, but were not illegal.

Taylor said the company took steps such as implementing training programs for Heritage employees and their supervisors.

"It's unfortunate that it happened," Taylor said. "But we disagree with the EEOC conclusions."

Both sides acknowledged they are in negotiations to settle the case before trial.

"While we believe we could prevail in this case, we have told the EEOC that we want to avoid the disruption of a lawsuit and have been trying to resolve the case through settlement negotiations," Helen Wainwright, senior vice president for human resources and labor relations, wrote to employees in a memo Tuesday.

The lawsuit asks the court to grant a permanent injunction, keeping the Star Tribune and its officials and employees from "engaging in sexual harassment, any other employment practice which discriminates on the basis of sex, and retaliation for opposition to such practices." The suit also seeks an unspecified amount of compensation for the women.

James Walsh • 612-673-7428

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