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TRENTON
– The Division on Civil Rights announced
today that the owner of City Coffee, a restaurant
and coffee shop located in downtown Camden,
has entered into a $75,000 settlement agreement
with the State that resolves allegations
he sexually harassed female employees.
Under
the terms of settlement, City Coffee owner
Ronald Ford, Jr, must pay the State $15,000
and provide training to all of his employees
on discrimination and harassment in the
workplace. By agreement, the $60,000 balance
of the settlement is suspended, and will
be vacated after three years unless Ford
fails to live up to all terms, in which
case he is liable for the full amount. Ford
makes no admission of wrongdoing under the
agreement.
Acting
Division Director Gary LoCassio said that,
once it is received, Ford’s $15,000
payment to the Division will be divided
among the City Coffee employees whose allegations
formed the basis of the State’s original
complaint.
In
addition to the settlement payout and training
requirement, Ford also must develop formal
anti-workplace-discrimination policies at
City Coffee, as well as procedures for handling
employee discrimination complaints, and
provide the Division with copies. Ford also
must provide the Division with quarterly
reports documenting any discrimination complaints
made by his employees, what actions were
taken in response, and what the outcome
was.
“This
is an important settlement, not so much
because it requires a financial payout by
the defendant, but because it provides for
employee training, as well as the development
of formal workplace policies and procedures
designed to prevent harassment and discrimination,”
said LoCassio.
“In addition,” LoCassio noted,
“the terms of the settlement include
several provisions designed to ensure future
accountability and compliance with the law.”
The
settlement announced today resolves a five-count
complaint filed in Superior Court by the
Division on Civil Rights in 2007. The complaint
named both Ford and City Coffee, his restaurant
and catering business located on Market
Street in Camden.
The
complaint alleged that a hostile work environment
prevailed at City Coffee, with Ford engaged
in a “pattern or practice” of
subjecting six female employees to lewd
comments, unwanted touching, invitations
to pose for photographs in revealing clothing
or nude, and repeated requests for sexual
favors.
The Complaint also accused Ford of terminating
one of those employees after she reported
his alleged harassment, first to other employees,
then to Camden Police, and alleged that
other employees among the six quit their
jobs to avoid being harassed.
Deputy
Attorney General James R. Michael handled
the City Coffee matter on behalf of the
Division on Civil Rights.
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