EEOC accuses Vegas business of harassment

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Tuesday that accuses a creative design business in Las Vegas of violating federal law by subjecting a female employee to sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.

According to the complaint against Candid Worldwide, production manager Sara Lara endured months of sexual harassment from her supervisor before she was fired.

The lawsuit claims the unidentified general manager told Lara that “she should become his assistant and use her sex appeal to cultivate relationships with existing clients and recruit new ones.”

Candid Worldwide representatives reached by phone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit also claims the general manager “repeatedly made sexist and demeaning comments to Lara,” saying her position should be filled by a man “because she was too ‘weak,’ that she completed tasks ‘like a girl’ and that the production staff would listen to a man instead of her.”

According to the document, he told those who worked for Lara to ignore her because “she was a girl on her period with hormones going crazy.”

At one point, the manager approached Lara and said, “Oh my god, you smell so good,” according to the lawsuit.

About a month after the last time Lara voiced her concerns, she was fired without explanation, according to the lawsuit. Her fiance, Jonathan Palacios, and son, Jonathan Montano, who also worked for the company, were fired the same day.

The lawsuit seeks back pay and past and future losses for Lara, Palacios and Montano. The commission also asked a judge to institute policies to ensure the company does not engage in similar activity.