The feds say teenagers were sexually harassed at a McDonald’s franchise

The owner of a McDonald’s franchise with more than a dozen locations in three western states will pay $1,997,500 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

AMTCR, franchise owner with restaurants in California, Nevada and Arizonawas sued in September 2021 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which alleged that young workers had been harassed for years in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the agency said in a Jan. 6 news release.

Managers, supervisors and co-workers sexually harassed employees — mostly teenagers — at various McDonald’s locations between 2017 and 2022, officials said.

The young employees were subjected to constant unwanted touching and sexual harassment, as well as offensive comments and intimidation, officials said.

“Many workers eventually found working conditions so intolerable that they had no choice but to quit,” citing serious emotional and mental lossesofficials said.

AMTCR, the owner of the franchise, became aware of the atmosphere of harassment back in 2017 and allowed it to continue, officials said.

McClatchy News has reached out to an AMTCR spokesperson for comment.

In addition to the roughly $2 million settlement, the owner will hire a third-party auditor to monitor the company’s operations and provide training, among other measures, officials said.

“Working teens are particularly vulnerable to harassment,” EEOC Chair Charlotte Burroughs said in a release. “The EEOC will continue to use all of its tools—including outreach and education, technical assistance, and, if necessary, litigation—to combat workplace harassment.”