McDonald’s franchisee knew CA teen workers were sexually harassed for years, feds say

A McDonald’s franchise owner with over a dozen locations in three western states will pay $1,997,500 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

AMTCR, a franchise owner with restaurants in California, Nevada and Arizona, was sued in September 2021 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which alleged young workers had been harassed for years, violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a Jan. 6 agency news release.

Managers, supervisors and co-workers sexually harassed employees —mainly teenagers — at multiple McDonald’s locations between 2017 and 2022, officials said.

The young employees were subjected to persistent unwanted touching and sexual advances, as well as offensive comments and intimidation, officials said.

“Many workers eventually found the working conditions so intolerable that they had no choice but to quit,” citing the severe emotional and mental toll, officials said.

AMTCR, the franchise owner, was made aware of the atmosphere of harassment as early as 2017 and permitted it to continue, officials said.

McClatchy News has reached out to a spokesperson for AMTCR for comment.

In addition to the roughly $2 million settlement, the owner will hire a third-party auditor to monitor company practices and conduct training, among other measures, officials said.

“Teenage workers are especially vulnerable to harassment,” EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows stated in the release. “The EEOC will continue to use all its tools—including outreach and education, technical assistance and, where necessary, litigation —to tackle workplace harassment.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 4:33 PM with the headline "McDonald’s franchisee knew CA teen workers were sexually harassed for years, feds say."