Federal agency failed to stop hostile environment. Complainant filed an appeal with the Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in response to the Agency’s Final Decision concerning her EEO complaint alleging employment discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act. On appeal, the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations (OFO) looked at whether the Agency took immediate and appropriate corrective action where a co-worker was subjected Complainant to an unlawfully hostile work environment. The OFO noted that an Agency is responsible for a hostile work environment unless it shows it took immediate and effective corrective action, and although the Agency took effective corrective action, it did not take immediate or prompt action when Complainant first alerted the Agency of the harassment in December and corrective action was not taken until May the following year.
Sharon M. v. Dep’t of Transportation, EEOC Appeal No. 0120180192 (Sept. 25, 2019) https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/decisions/0120180192.pdf