A private prison company has agreed to pay $60,000 to a former female employee in Arizona. The woman says she was sexually harassed on the job — and that company employees retaliated after she reported the behavior.
This resolves a 2015 lawsuit by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against The GEO Group, Inc. The suit alleged that employees and managers at the Central Arizona Correctional Facility in Florence sexually harassed Roberta Jones and that GEO responded to Jones’ complaints by assigning her to less desirable posts and eventually firing her. GEO denies the allegations.
Along with requiring the $60,000 payment, the settlement requires GEO take several steps. They include reviewing policies, referring sexual harassment complaints to the EEOC and conducting training of all workers and managers at the Florence prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
