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Valley pet store settles sexual harassment lawsuit

Posted 8/24/24

Bark If You’re Dirty, a pet store with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, will pay $340,000 and provide other injunctive relief to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment …

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Legal

Valley pet store settles sexual harassment lawsuit

Posted

Bark If You’re Dirty, a pet store with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, will pay $340,000 and provide other injunctive relief to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency announced Aug. 23.

According to the lawsuit, a male manager at the Phoenix store and a male employee at the Scottsdale store subjected female employees to constant sexual harassment. The harassment included making inappropriate sexual comments about female employees and customers, physically touching female employees without their consent, sexually propositioning female employees, and showing female employees naked photos.

Female employees complained about this harassment to management at both stores on multiple occasions over a period of several years. However, Bark If You’re Dirty, formerly known as Wag N’ Wash, failed to take prompt and appropriate action to stop the harassment, according to the lawsuit.

The suit also alleged that Bark If You’re Dirty retaliated against certain female employees by terminating them after they complained about the sexual harassment, according to the release.

Other female employees felt compelled to resign from their employment with the company because they were severely affected by the sexual harassment they experienced and left vulnerable with management’s inaction, according to the release.