EEOC Alleges Harassment, Gender Bias at Del Taco

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit alleging that Del Taco LLC failed to provide “a conciliation agreement acceptable to the Commission” following allegations of discriminatory practices against female employees. EEOC v. Del Taco LLC, No. 18-1978 (C.D. Cal., filed September 17, 2018). Allegations include sexual harassment of female employees by male shift leaders and general managers. The complaint asserts that after Del Taco was notified of the alleged harassment, it “failed to take prompt and effective remedial action reasonably calculated to end the harassment,” including “failing to conduct an adequate investigation,” “failing to adequately discipline harassing supervisors and/or coworkers,” “failing to follow complaint procedures and take sexual harassment complaints seriously” and “actively deterring employees from making sexual harassment complaints.” EEOC seeks class certification for the female employees and asks the court to compel Del Taco to “institute and carry out policies, practices, and programs to ensure that it would not engage in further unlawful employment practices.”