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Federal Agency Obtains $150,000 for Family of Latino Farmworkers

PORTLAND , Ore. – Willamette Tree Wholesale, Inc. has agreed to pay $150,000 to four Latino farmworkers to resolve a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, two sisters who worked at Willamette Tree’s Molalla, Ore., farm faced extreme sexual harassment. One was taken to remote areas of the farm by a supervisor, coerced with pruning shears, threatened with termination and bodily harm and sexually assaulted repeatedly over several months. When informed by a coworker of the situation, Willamette Tree failed to investigate or respond. Ultimately, the woman was fired when she refused her supervisor’s demands, according to the EEOC. The other sister faced graphic sexual comments, propositions and groping by the same supervisor as well as a crew leader. The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that instead of taking appropriate action when she and her husband reported the h...