Cumberland County is settling for $1.1 million accusations that its former Solid Waste Department director harassed 10 women employees, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Federal law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, origin or religion.
"Cumberland County will also revise its policies, procedures, and training to better prevent sexual harassment in the workplace," a DOJ release states.
A federal court still must approve the settlement, which stemmed from a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Government lawyer Pamela S. Karlan said in the release the settlement will give the 10 women some sense of closure and vindication.
They were subjected to "egregious and abusive behavior," Karlan said in the release. The manager is identified in the federal complaint as Michael Harvel, a past county commissioner.
The abuse went on at least from February 2015 to February 2018, the government alleged.
Harvel, later fired, has been indicted on criminal charges and is awaiting trial in state court.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigated and found reason to confirm complaints filed by female employees about Harvel, according to the federal complaint.
The EEOC referred the case to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
The federal complaint against Cumberland County states: "Between at least February 2015 and February 2018, Harvel subjected female employees of the Solid Waste Department, including the Charging Parties and six similarly situated employees, to unwelcome, non-consensual sexual contact such as kissing and grabbing their breasts, thighs, buttocks, and vaginas, both over and under their clothes; unwelcome sexual advances such as propositioning women for oral or penetrative sex and forcing women to view or touch his penis; and unwelcome and offensive sexual remarks about their bodies and sex acts.
"Harvel’s conduct was both repeated and sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to alter the terms and conditions of their employment."
According to the government, "The County’s failure to take reasonable steps to prevent Harvel’s harassment have caused the Charging Parties and similarly situated female employees of the Solid Waste Department financial and emotional injuries, including the loss of salary and other benefits of employment, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, and other nonpecuniary losses."
