The St. Cloud Area Family YMCA will pay $140,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by federal regulators on behalf of two teenagers and a woman who worked there.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court that a YMCA manager repeatedly propositioned one employee for sex, made unwelcome sexual comments about the female employees’ bodies and physical appearance, and uttered other demeaning comments about women.
Some managers at the St. Cloud Y witnessed the harassment dating back to December 2021 and also fielded complaints from the employees but “failed to take prompt ... action to prevent or remedy the harassment,” read the suit, which was filed in September.
One of the employees, a teenager, resigned to avoid the harassment, the suit noted. The settlement clears the way for the St. Cloud Y to offer the employee her job back.
Greg Gack, the St. Cloud Y’s CEO and executive director, said Friday that the manager accused of the harassment was fired in November 2022.
In announcing the settlement Thursday, the EEOC said it first tried to reach an agreement through a conciliation process, but that effort failed to prevent the suit from being filed.
Along with the $140,000 payment, the St. Cloud Y agreed to revise its harassment and discrimination policies, periodically survey its employees for any further sexual harassment and report future harassment complaints to the EEOC.
The Y will also provide training to management employees about their obligations under federal law to prevent and take action against sexual harassment.
