Laughlin hotel to pay $150,000 in case involving harassment of minority workers
A Laughlin hotel has agreed to a six-figure settlement in a case involving harassment of minority workers.
Pioneer Hotel and Gambling Hall will pay $150,000 to six Latino or brown-skinned workers who were “subjected to a barrage of highly offensive and derogatory comments about their national origin and/or skin color since 2006,” the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday in a statement announcing the agreement.
A federal lawsuit filed in Nevada District Court alleged that supervisors amd coworkers were “constantly” targeted with slurs such as “taco bell,” “bean burrito” and “f____ aliens.” The lawsuit also said workers were told not to speak Spanish on break, and at least one employee lost his job after complaining about the treatment. The company failed to correct the problems, the lawsuit said.
The practices violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in the lawsuit, which it filed in 2011.
In addition to monetary relief, Pioneer Hotel must hire a consultant to help implement policies, procedures and training for all workers to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The company will receive additional training on its responsibilities under Title VII; will have to immediately report complaints to the human resources department; and must create a centralized system to track complaints. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will monitor compliance with the four-year consent decree.
Archon Corp., co-owned by former Republican U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor candidate Sue Lowden, is the owner of the hotel.
Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Find @J_Robison1 on Twitter.
