Twenty-one women, ten from Bakersfield, are finally getting some closure after months and even years of alleged sexual harassment and assault at work. Thursday the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced a settlement of $5.8 million with ABM Industries and ABM Janitorial Services in a sexual harassment lawsuit. They announced the settlement at a news conference in Los Angeles; the EEOc and victims were present, but ABM was not.
Recounting months and months of sexual harrassment and assault was too much for one victim at Thursday's news conference. She fainted after being asked to share her story. "I tried to seek help and no one listened to me," said another victim.
Lawyers and victims described ABM Janitorial Services and ABM Industries in Fresno, Bakersfield and Visalia between 2001 and 2009, as having atmospheres of silent suffering and fear. But that silence was broken when the EEOC brought a lawsuit against the company on behalf of 21 women. "Explicit sexual comments, requests for sex by 14 of their coworkers," said Anna Park, an attorney with the EEOC.
Victims were mostly spanish speaking janitorial workers who worked late at night in empty buildings. EEOC attorneys say the most egregious offender, was right here in Bakersfield. They say he raped one woman. "That's when he threw me to the ground. And I don't know what happened, if I hit my head or what, when I woke up he was on top of me," said the victim.
Local ABM representatives declined to comment. The corporate office released a statement saying the company still denies any wrongdoing and that they strive to provide employees with a professional and safe work environment. However that's something the EEOC says they failed to do for nearly a decade.
The registered sex offender who allegedly raped the Bakersfield woman no longer has his job, however attorneys could not confirm whether the 13 other offenders in Fresno and Visalia still had their jobs.
