By 
McDonald’s is back in the headlines after being slammed with three new sexual harassment cases last week. Three women, working in McDonald’s franchise locations in Los Angeles, Missouri and St. Louis respectively, all filed suits alleging sexual harassment. The news comes after a massive class action suit for sexual harassment was filed against the company just a few months ago
The Allegations
The most recent case was filed against McDonalds on January 7th by Delisha Rivers. Rivers, a single mother of five, was hired as a shift leader at McDonald’s in early 2019. She alleges that her manager attempted to pressure her into performing sexual favors in exchange for a salary raise and cash, and that after rejecting his advances she began to face workplace retaliation. According to the single mom, she had a difficult time reporting the alleged harassment and retaliation to McDonalds. Rivers alleges that McDonalds failed to protect her and had insufficient resources to offer support. Her claim states that Rivers needed to call multiple numbers just to reach McDonald’s corporate office and was then redirected to different field districts, none of which were able to provide her with any assistance. Rivers was forced to quit the job in February 2019 when the treatment became unbearable.
The two other suits were filed by women who each alleged they had been sexually harassed, both verbally and physically, while employed by McDonalds. In a Suit filed last December, Barbara Johnson alleged that while working at St. Louis McDonalds in 2018, she experienced physical and verbal sexual harassment from her co-workers. Johnson, who was a homeless teenager when she took the job, alleges that on what became her last shift at the restaurant, she was verbally harassed by a coworker and her manager, and was then groped by her manager. The complaint claims that after the incident, Johnson “felt sick to her stomach” and clocked out early, before ultimately deciding she had no choice but to quit.
The last claim was filed by Elsy Rodriguez, in November 2020, and claims she had experienced physical and verbal harassment while working at a McDonald’s in Los Angeles. In her complaint she accused a maintenance worker of refusing to leave the bathroom while she was using it and then proceeding to spank her multiple times. She alleges that after reporting the incident to the kitchen manager nothing was done, and that the harassment continued
What It Really Takes to Stop Workplace Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a pervasive issue in the workplace that can have a devastating effect on an employee’s mental and emotional well-being. Although their employer may be the first place a victim turns for help, stories like these show that this doesn’t always resolve the situation. According to psychologists, comprehensive intervention training can be effective in increasing accountability, providing a safe place for employees to file complaints, and decreasing turnover rates which is typically a result of a toxic work environment.
Comments