Firm OKs $75,000 settlement in sex harassment suit

ST. LOUIS -- A trash disposal company will pay $75,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former eastern Missouri employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Monday.

Heartland Disposal is a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Republic Services Inc., the nation's third-largest waste disposal firm.

The suit was filed by a former secretary/dispatcher at Heartland's Potosi office.

The employee, whose name was not released, alleged that a male supervisor touched her breasts, tried to bite them, and repeatedly made sexually obscene comments.

After the woman filed charges through the EEOC, Republic Services' human relations manager and regional vice president traveled to Missouri and pressured her to withdraw the charges, the EEOC said.

The woman resigned after she was told her hours would be reduced, the lawsuit claimed.

Republic Services spokes-man Will Flower said the company "certainly does not condone any type of behavior like that," but decided to settle rather than face lengthy and costly litigation.

'Business decision'

"Based on the evidence we were able to gather, we felt the company was certainly innocent and we made a business decision to resolve the issue through mediation," Flower said.

In addition to the financial settlement, Heartland agreed to provide sexual harassment training to employees at its three sites in Missouri and two in southern Illinois.

The EEOC "is far more likely to file suit against a company when it does retaliate," said Lynn Bruner, director of the St. Louis office.