DENVER—A San Luis Valley potato wholesaler has been sued for allegedly allowing a packaging plant supervisor to sexually harass at least four female employees.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver this week against The Spud Seller Inc. of Monte Vista.
The lawsuit says Maria de Jesus Ramirez complained to company managers that plant supervisor Mauricio Gaytan made sexual comments and gestures to her, requested sexual favors and tried to kiss her after she was hired in 2007 but that no corrective action was taken. She later resigned from the company, the EEOC said.
Another employee had complained about sexual harassment by Gaytan in 2004, but managers didn’t discipline him, the lawsuit said. That employee received a written disciplinary warning around January 2005 because she discussed her complaint, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit said two other women also were harassed. One received sexual text messages and pictures on her cell phone, the suit said. The other employees weren’t named.
A company manager referred questions to the owner, who was not on site Thursday morning and didn’t immediately return a message for comment. Gaytan’s phone number is unlisted.
“Sexual harassment is a real problem for farm workers in remote and underserved areas like this one,” EEOC attorney Mary Jo O’Neill said in a written statement.
EEOC Acting District Director Rayford Irvin said the agency has Spanish-speaking investigators and can take complaints by mail.
The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensation for emotional distress and punitive damages. A dollar figure wasn’t listed.
