Red Lobster Enabled Sex Harassment Against Worker At Gloucester Co. Restaurant: State

WOODBURY, NJ — A Red Lobster restaurant in Gloucester County failed to take appropriate action when an employee accused her colleague of sexual harassment, according to a preliminary investigation from state authorities.

New Jersey's Division of Civil Rights (DCR) issued a finding of probable cause against Red Lobster, concluding that the Woodbury restaurant likely violated state discrimination law, officials said Wednesday.

A woman who worked there filed a verified complaint with the state, alleging the restaurant failed to take action when a male line cook was sexually harassing her.

The line cook repeatedly harassed the victim by forcibly trying to kiss her and touching her back and buttocks, among other actions, according to the DCR's investigation.

The woman reported him to the restaurant's now-former general manager. Following the internal complaint, the general manager interviewed the victim and harasser in each other's presence at the same time, the DCR said.

Red Lobster claimed it investigated allegations into the line cook touching the woman's arm. But the DCR found the restaurant didn't investigate any of the other allegations.

The restaurant also denied the victim's request to work at different times than the accused harasser, telling her the line cook was "more important" to the business than she was, the DCR said.

She quit as a result.

"DCR found sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that the conditions of work became so intolerable that a reasonable person would be forced to resign," said the state Office of the Attorney General, of which the DCR is part.

A corporate spokesperson for Red Lobster did not return Patch's request for comment as of this writing.

The DCR issues a finding of probable cause when its preliminary investigation find sufficient evidence of discrimination. Once issued, the parties have a chance to settle the matter out of court. If a voluntary resolution isn't reached, the DCR will appoint a deputy attorney general to prosecute the case.

Find out more about New Jersey's protections against sexual harassment in the workplace.