NORFOLK, Va. — Three former employees of a Norfolk-based home care company will share $60,000 in a sexual harassment settlement reached with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The EEOC filed the lawsuit against Moore Comfort Home Care LLC on behalf of three women. Under a three-year consent decree, the company must pay the $60,000 to the affected employees, change its harassment policies, provide training and hire an independent HR monitor.
Gabriel Mondino, a trial attorney with the EEOC's Richmond office who worked on the case, described how the agency handles complaints.
"The EEOC has the opportunity to conduct an investigation, interview the person who brings the investigation, and also conduct interviews of any witnesses or employer representatives," Mondino said.
The lawsuit states the first alleged incident involving one of the women occurred in March 2023, when the company's owner repeatedly stared at her body while driving her from a Suffolk client's home to the company's Norfolk office.
The suit says the harassment escalated May 18 at the Norfolk office, when the owner allegedly made sexual comments, moved between her legs and pulled her hands inside his shirt.
She reported the incident the next day and resigned four days later, according to the lawsuit.
Mondino encouraged anyone who believes they have experienced workplace discrimination to come forward quickly.
"Come early so that the information doesn't really get stale," Mondino said.
Mondino identified the woman who brought the complaint forward by name.
"We depend on individuals, members of the public who feel that they've been discriminated against coming forward to the EEOC. Ms. Barnes did that," Mondino said.
Mondino said employees do not need a lawyer to seek help from the EEOC, and the agency's services are free.
Moore Comfort Home Care did not respond to a request for comment.
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