Senior Living Center Fired Employee For Complaining of Sexual Harassment, Federal Agency Alleged

CHICAGO - Cordia Senior Living will pay $40,000 to a former employee to resolve a retaliation case brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced on December 18th, 2014.

The EEOC charged that Cordia, located on Cass Avenue in Westmont, Ill., fired the former employee in retaliation for repeatedly complaining to management about alleged sexual harassment.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits retaliation for opposing sexual harassment. The EEOC filed the suit (EEOC v. Cordia Senior Living, Civil Action No. 13-cv-6480 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. EEOC Regional Attorney John Hendrickson, Trial Attorneys Justin Mulaire and Laurie Elkin and Supervisory Trial Attorney Greg Gochanour litigated the case on behalf of the government.

U.S. District Judge Marvin Aspen of the Northern District of Illinois entered the decree today ending the suit, which provides $40,000 in monetary relief to the victim of the alleged retaliation. In addition, the decree includes an injunction against retaliation and imposes record keeping and reporting responsibilities on the senior living center for the decree's term.

"We at the EEOC are encouraged that this decree not only remedies the retaliation that occurred, but will prevent retaliation in the future," said Hendrickson. "Both the victim and the public are well served by the decree."

The EEOC's Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement and the conduct agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.