food
Il Fornaio, with restaurants in Coronado and Del Mar, to pay $3 million to settle federal harassment suit
The EEOC alleged that female workers at the chain were sexually harassed and faced retaliation when they complained. The agency did not tie the claims to the San Diego County restaurants, and the company has denied wrongdoing.
Il Fornaio (America) LLC, the Italian restaurant chain with locations at Coronado Ferry Landing and Del Mar Plaza, has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Oct. 13.
The EEOC alleged that supervisors and co-workers harassed female employees, many of them teenagers, and retaliated against those who complained. It said several women felt forced to quit. The agency's acting regional attorney said at least 100 women were affected.
The suit was filed in August 2022 in federal court in Los Angeles. The EEOC's announcement does not say the alleged conduct happened at the Coronado or Del Mar restaurants. The chain has 15 restaurants in California and Nevada.
Il Fornaio has denied wrongdoing and said it settled to avoid lengthy litigation, according to SanDiegoVille, citing earlier Bay Area reports.
How this story was made: drafted with AI assistance, then checked line by line against the sources below by a San Diego Insight editor before publishing. Our standards.
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