Walmart Under Fire: EEOC Lawsuit Accuses Retail Giant Of Ignoring Female Harassment Claims

Walmart Inc. WMT lands in the hot seat as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) slaps a lawsuit on them, accusing the retail giant of turning a blind eye to female employees facing sexual harassment.

According to the lawsuit, a female employee was even terminated in retaliation for reporting the harassment.

The EEOC’s litigation asserts that the manager at Walmart Supercenter #1499 in Lewisburg, West Virginia, engaged in flagrant sexual misconduct, encompassing unsolicited physical advances and soliciting sexual favors for monetary or professional benefits.

Also Read: Will FTC Lawsuit End Up Breaking Amazon? Analyst Says Unlikely

Walmart Stores East, LP had received numerous protests about the store manager’s conduct and failed to act appropriately to stop the harassment.

“Employers must act promptly and forcefully to protect workers from sexual harassment,” said EEOC Philadelphia District Office Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence.

In an email to Benzinga, Walmart’s representative said, “We don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and want all our associates to feel respected. We take this seriously, and the claims raised to our Ethics Department were investigated and were not substantiated. We will respond as appropriate once we are served with the Complaint.”

Walmart is reportedly facing a patent infringement lawsuit from RavenWhite Licensing as well. The lawsuit alleges that Walmart’s website and advertising program infringe on RavenWhite’s patents related to processing cookies and serving targeted online advertisements. 

Related: Walmart’s Mixed News: Reduced Hours in Atlanta, Canadian Food Price Initiative, and Patent Infringement Case

This month, the EEOC has launched its fourth lawsuit against Walmart, marking at least the eighth in this year alone; however, this is the inaugural suit not centered on disability discrimination allegations, Reuters said in a report.

Price Action: WMT shares are trading higher by 0.46% to $164.13 on the last check Wednesday.

Editor’s Note: The story has been updated with comments from Walmart.