Valley pet stores settle federal sexual harassment complaint for $340,000

PHOENIX — A local pet store with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale has been ordered to pay $340,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Bark If You’re Dirty, located near Indian School Road and Central Avenue in Phoenix and near Indian School and Hayden roads in Scottsdale, allegedly had a male manager at the Phoenix location and a male employee at the Scottsdale location who constantly sexually harassed female employees.

According to the lawsuit, the harassment included inappropriate sexual comments about female employees and customers, physically touching female employees without consent, making suggestions of sex to female employees and showing female employees nude photos.

Even though female workers complained about the harassment to management at both locations for several years, the store allegedly did nothing to stop the harassment.

Further, the store formerly called Wag N’ Wash, also fired some female employees after they complained about the sexual harassment that took place.

As a result, other female employees decided to quit due to the harassment and subsequent retaliation and enabling of it to continue.

In addition to the settlement, Bark if You’re Dirty will also be required to have an independent consultant train its employees, managers, owners, supervisors and human resources employees on sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. The store will also look into its current discrimination and retaliation policies and make the necessary adjustments to prevent sexual harassment from happening in the future.

The store also agreed to not rehire the manager nor employee who sexually harassed the women.

“Sexual harassment in any workplace, no matter how casual or formal the working environment, is illegal and violates federal civil rights law,” Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill of the EEOC’s (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) Phoenix District Office said in a press release.

“Employers have a legal duty to stop, prevent, investigate and eliminate any and all sexual harassment. Employers must take all appropriate actions swiftly in order to protect employees and prevent repeated misconduct and violations of the law.”

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