Ventura County Star
Francisca Alvarado Garcia (left) and Administrative Legal Secretary, Irma Avila-Espinoza from CRLA's Oxnard Office.
In a big win for Latina workers, clients represented by CRLA in a lawsuit jointly litigated by CRLA and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accepted a $240,000 settlement in a case against two Southern California orchid growers accused of targeted sexual harassment against Latina workers.
Finalizing the settlement took bilateral support from CRLA and the EEOC, as well as notable bravery and loyalty from plaintiff Francisca Alvarado Garcia, a longtime employee of the growers who first reported the harassment to CRLA offices in Oxnard. Instead of merely looking out for herself, Ms. Garcia agreed to leave her settlement in jeopardy until other class members also received their settlement payments and requirements for future harassment prevention in the company were included as terms in the settlement agreement. We congratulate her and all the claimants on their tenacious fight for Latina rights in the workplace.
Ms. Garcia receives her settlement payment.
Ms. Garcia's story was widely covered in local and statewide news outlets; in the Ventura County Star, CRLA Directing Attorney Andres Garcia commented on the case:
"For our client, this case was about dignity and the right to work in an environment that's free from harassment."
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