Car dealer to settle federal lawsuit

Tim Dahle Imports will pay $455,000 to settle out of court a sexual-harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Thursday.

The EEOC filed suit against the company last year, accusing "multiple salesmen and sales managers" at Tim Dahle Nissan in Sandy of subjecting five female employees, many of whom were in their teens or early 20s, to repeated requests for sexual favors, sexually explicit language in the workplace and other unwelcome comments and conduct that is illegal, according to a statement by the EEOC.

When contacted by the Deseret News on Thursday, Tim Dahle said "it was all allegations, and those involved on both sides are no longer employed by us."

"And it was four years ago," he said.

When one woman complained about the treatment, the EEOC claims, Tim Dahle Nissan retaliated by firing her.

The salesmen and sales managers' alleged conduct, if found illegal in court, would have violated provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It also protects employees from retaliation if they complain about offenses.

The EEOC first tried to reach a voluntary settlement with Tim Dahle Imports, then filed suit.

"Sexual harassment is always unacceptable, and it is especially disturbing when the harassers are mistreating a teenager in the workplace, as was the case here," said EEOC acting chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru in Thursday's statement. "The EEOC takes its mission to eradicate this misconduct very seriously."

The five women will receive portions of the $455,000. The settlement also requires the dealership to formally apologize to the women and to provide employee education about sexual harassment, retaliation and employees' rights under the Civil Rights Act.

"Sexual harassment continues to be a problem in the workplace," said Mary Jo O'Neill, regional attorney of the EEOC. "Many of the women involved in this suit were in their teens or early 20s when they worked at the dealership, where sexual harassment seemed to be the norm, and they felt they had no choice but to put up with it," O'Neill said.

e-mail: lhancock@desnews.com

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