Target Settles With Valley Worker Who Claimed Harassment, Retaliation

LOS ANGELES, CA — A former Target Corp. employee has reached a settlement in her lawsuit against the retail giant in which she alleged her complaints of sexual harassment by a male co-worker were met with an order that she herself take a sexual harassment training course, a reduction in her work hours and ultimately her termination earlier this year.

Christina Torres' Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit allegations included wrongful termination, gender discrimination, harassment, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On Monday, her attorney filed court papers with Judge Richard L. Fruin notifying him that the case was resolved. No terms were revealed.

In their previous court papers, Target attorneys denied Torres' allegations and cited multiple defenses, including violation of the statute of limitations and an assertion that store management took prompt corrective action in response to Torres' complaints.

According to Torres' lawsuit, a short time after her hiring at the Burbank store last October a male co-worker began sexually harassing her, making constant comments complimentary of her physique and asking her out to lunch.

"These comments and advances occurred frequently over the course of several weeks, creating a hostile and uncomfortable work environment for plaintiff," the suit filed Jan. 21 stated.

After Torres' first complaint, management kept her alleged harasser out of her workplace, but not long thereafter he was working near her again, the suit states. By December, the co-worker stepped up his alleged misconduct and told Torres he did not understand why he was ordered not to talk to her and repeated that they should have lunch, the suit stated.

Torres subsequently complained to human resources. She also notified Target's board of directors, which brought her criticism from the store director, who asked her, "Don't you know the chain of command?," the suit stated.

Torres also was told to undergo a sexual harassment training course, which she found inexplicable, but she was told to go back to work before she could complete it, the suit further stated. Torres' work hours were reduced on Jan. 6 and the store director told her it was being done for the company's best interests, according to the complaint.

Three days later, the human resources director informed Torres that she was being terminated with the excuse that there were insufficient hours for her to work, the suit alleged.

"(Target's) discriminatory and unlawful conduct caused plaintiff to suffer severe emotional distress, economic harm and professional damage," the suit further alleged.

City News Service