First Watch slapped with sexual harrassment fine

BURLINGAME -- A now-defunct Burlingame restaurant will have to compensate former female employees a total of $230,000 for sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today.

First Watch Restaurant, part of a corporation that has since moved its only California location out of state, was ordered to pay the money as part of a settlement. The corporation also has to revamp its anti-discrimination policies and sexual harassment training.

The settlement involves at least two women and a 16-year-old girl. According to District Director Joan Ehrlich, minors are often the ones most affected by inappropriate behavior in the restaurant industry, and there may be more who have yet to come forward in this case.

"That's very important to us," Ehrlich said. "We find a tremendous amount of sexual harassment against these kids, and sometimes they don't realize they have rights."

The suit alleged that while First Watch Restaurants, Inc. had sexual harassment policies in place, it failed to implement them on a local level. The corporation, based in Bradenton, Fla., operates 52 breakfast and lunch restaurants in seven states.

William Tamayo, the lead attorney in the case, said First Watch was cooperative in settling the lawsuit.

"We are optimistic that their training programs and complaint procedures put in place by the consent decree will prevent further instances of harassment," Tamayo said.

A spokesperson for First Watch, Inc., was unable to comment this morning.

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