ARIZONA NEWS

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

Aug 24, 2024, 3:00 PM

Bark If You’re Dirty has been ordered to pay $340,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. (Pex...

Bark If You’re Dirty has been ordered to pay $340,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. (Pexels photo)

(Pexels photo)

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.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Arizona armed campus officers...

Danny Shapiro

Arizona officials make $48 million available for hiring of armed campus officers, counselors

Arizona education officials announced Monday they have voted to make $48 million in school safety funding available for schools to hire armed campus officers and counselors.

1 hour ago

James Taylor Phoenix concert...

Kevin Stone

James Taylor to launch 2025 North American tour with his All-Star Band in Phoenix

Acclaimed singer-songwriter James Taylor announced Monday that he’ll be launching his 2025 North American tour in Phoenix.

3 hours ago

Flagstaff Police released this surveillance image of two brothers wanted in connection with a shoot...

Kevin Stone

2 brothers wanted in connection with shooting on Route 66 in Flagstaff

Police in Flagstaff are searching for two brothers wanted in connection with a shooting last week.

5 hours ago

Avondale is replacing fire station No. 171 with a new state-of-the-art facility....

Kevin Stone

West Valley suburb building state-of-the-art fire station to replace aging facility

The West Valley suburb of Avondale is replacing a 40-year-old fire station with a new state-of-the-art facility.

7 hours ago

Brandon Sanchez was the only one of six inmates who escaped from a White Mountain Apache Tribe jail...

Kevin Stone

1 of 6 inmates who escaped from an eastern Arizona jail remains at large

One of six inmates who escaped from an eastern Arizona jail over the weekend remains at large, authorities said.

9 hours ago

Scottsdale hospital...

Payne Moses

Scottsdale hospital performs breakthrough heart procedure with new technology

A Scottsdale hospital became the first non-clinical trial site in Arizona to perform a tricuspid heart valve replacement.

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus: Spreading holiday cheer through pickleball

Phoenix, AZ – Sanderson Ford, a staple in the Arizona community, is once again gearing up for its annual Operation Santa Claus charity drive.

...

Morris Hall

West Hunsaker, through Morris Hall, supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR’s Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

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