DENVER — Gate Gourmet, a global airline catering company headquartered in Reston, Virginia, violated federal law when it subjected a female employee to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the lawsuit, between 2022 and 2023, a female employee was repeatedly harassed while working for Gate Gourmet at Denver International Airport. The lawsuit alleges that the woman experienced unwelcome sexual conduct from a male colleague, including vulgar comments and gestures. According to the lawsuit, the male colleague made comments about his sexual preferences, the woman’s body, and his desire to touch her body in the restroom. The lawsuit further charges that Gate Gourmet failed to investigate the employee’s allegations and refused to take steps to protect the woman from the ongoing harassment.

“People should be able to earn a paycheck without having to tolerate harassing comments, remarks, or indignities,” said Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District. “When an employee notifies a supervisor about sexual harassment, the employer must take decisive action to restore a safe workplace, not simply shrug off the employee’s concerns or dismiss their allegations without a meaningful investigation.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Gate Gourmet, Case No. 1:26-cv-04015) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

EEOC Denver Field Office Director Sherrie Hayashi said, “Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment. Sexual vulgarities and references to someone’s body features do not belong in the workplace and can amount to a hostile work environment when an employer fails to take remedial action to end severe and pervasive harassment.”

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

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

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.