Medford restaurant sued by feds over alleged sexual harassment

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A civil rights lawsuit filed by a federal agency accuses the owners of a Medford restaurant of subjecting employees to sexual abuse and harassment, even after a manager was convicted on a criminal charge of harassment involving an employee.

The Mail Tribune reports that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against New China, Inc. last week in U.S. District Court in Medford that alleges the restaurant engaged in “open and notorious” offensive conduct that included sexual comments and inappropriate touching of young female employees, including at least one minor.

The lawsuit draws from complaints filed with the EEOC and Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, which described a hostile work environment for female employees.