US agency sues Conn. clothing manufacturer over harassment allegations by female workers

A federal agency is suing a Branford clothing manufacturer, siding with female employees who accuse male co-workers and managers of sexual harassment, including inappropriate comments, touching and even offers of money for sex.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against FYC International Inc., which is doing business as FYC Apparel Group LLC. Three women filed a discrimination complaint with the commission, which found reasonable cause to believe female employees were subjected to a hostile work environment.

The New Haven Register (http://bit.ly/1pFriFm ) reported that federal officials say a warehouse operations manager routinely made sexual comments and gestures, including propositioning the female employees for sex.

Other men maintained pornographic photographs at their work stations and asked female employees sexually explicit questions, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday.

"The EEOC's suit claims that women at FYC were harassed from all fronts, by the top manager and by male co-workers," EEOC Trial Attorney Jadhira Rivera said.

Officials at FYC did not respond to a request by the newspaper for comment. A lawyer who has represented the company would not comment because the litigation is pending.

The commission said it asked the company in June for informal conciliation, which was rejected.

"This was pretty outrageous sexual harassment, from propositioning workers to touching," said Jeffrey Burstein, a supervisory trial lawyer for the EEOCA.

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Information from: New Haven Register, http://www.nhregister.com