EEOC Secures $340,000 Settlement Against “Bark If You’re Dirty” Pet Stores

PHOENIX - Bark If You're Dirty, a pet store with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, owned and operated by Teetszinty, LLC, Teetszinty 2, LLC, and Teetszinty Holding LLC, will pay $340,000 and provide other injunctive relief to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit, the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit on behalf of a class of female employees, a male manager at the Phoenix store and a male employee at the Scottsdale store subjected female employees to constant sexual harassment, including inappropriate sexual comments about female employees and customers, physically touching female employees without their consent, sexually propositioning female employees, and showing female employees naked photos.

Female employees complained about this harassment to management at both stores on multiple occasions over a period of several years. However, Bark If You're Dirty, formerly known as Wag N' Wash, failed to take prompt and appropriate action to stop the harassment. The EEOC also alleged that Bark If You're Dirty retaliated against certain female employees by terminating them after they complained. Other female employees felt compelled to resign because they were severely affected and left vulnerable with management's inaction.

This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation against employees who oppose the harassment. The EEOC sued Teetszinty, LLC, Teetszinty 2, LLC, and Teetszinty Holding LLC, the entities that own and operate Bark If You're Dirty, in the U.S. District Court of Arizona (EEOC v. Teetszinty LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 2:23-cv-02051-DLR), after initially attempting to settle the matter through its conciliation process.

Under the three-year consent decree resolving this lawsuit, in addition to paying $340,000 to the sexual harassment victims, Bark if You're Dirty will take actions including: retaining an independent consultant experienced in the area of employment discrimination law to train its employees, managers, owners, supervisors and human resources personnel on sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation; reviewing existing policies against discrimination and retaliation; and making any necessary revisions to those policies to help prevent future sexual harassment. Bark If You're Dirty also agreed to not rehire the male manager and male 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," said Regional Attorney Mary Jo O'Neill of the EEOC's Phoenix District Office. "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."

Melinda Caraballo, District Director of the EEOC's Phoenix District Office said: "This case shows that lack of compliance with laws that prohibit employment discrimination can be costly. Over 50% of our charges in the Phoenix District have a retaliation complaint. It is essential that employees be able to work freely without fear of being fired or otherwise retaliated against for complaining about sex discrimination or sexual harassment, which is protected activity under Title VII."

For more information about sexual harassment, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment. For more information about retaliation, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC's Phoenix District Office has jurisdiction for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and part of New Mexico.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination and promotes policies to advance fairness and equity in the workplace. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

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