GIBSONTON, Fla. – A Gibsonton restaurant is cutting a five-figure check after federal investigators detailed a workplace culture defined by pornographic images, unwanted touching, and retaliation.
Rivers Edge Enterprises, LLC, which operates the River’s Edge Bar and Grill, has agreed to pay $65,000 to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The federal complaint painted a grim picture of the environment at the family-owned establishment.
According to the EEOC, one of the three brothers who owns the bar subjected female servers to a barrage of sexually charged behavior. This included pressured conversations about sexual acts, the display of pornographic websites, and a demand that employees refer to him as “daddy.”
The lawsuit further alleged the owner sent sexually suggestive texts and photos of firearms to staff, and touched female employees without their consent.
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The situation came to a head in July 2022, when a female employee was fired shortly after reporting the harassment. The EEOC stepped in after failing to reach a voluntary settlement with the company, eventually filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
“Company owners have an obligation to implement safeguards in their workplaces that prevent and address harassment,” said Kristen Foslid, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District Office. “Unchecked authority in this case resulted in harm that could have been prevented.”
The $65,000 payout will be split between the original complainant and one other class member. However, the settlement includes more than just cash.
Under a three-year consent decree, River’s Edge Bar and Grill is forced to hire an outside monitor to handle future workplace investigations and staff training. The owners are also required to overhaul their sexual harassment policies, post a public notice about the lawsuit in the bar, and provide the EEOC with progress reports every six months.
Tamra S. Schweiberger, director of the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office, noted that the agency remains focused on stopping this type of conduct at the source.
“Employers cannot look the other way when sexual harassment is taking place,” Schweiberger said. “The EEOC is fully committed to combating sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace.”
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