McDonald’s Workers Win $1.5 Million in a Class-Action Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Former workers of a McDonald’s restaurant in Mason, who are part of a class-action lawsuit alleging a culture of sexual harassment, will be eligible to claim awards averaging $10,000, depending on the extent of the harassment they suffered, under the terms of a proposed settlement sent for court approval Monday.
The suit was originally filed in November 2019 by former McDonald’s employee Jenna Ries. In December 2021, a federal judge ruled the lawsuit could proceed on behalf of a class of nearly 100 other women and teenage girls. The judge’s decision was based on evidence showing the “consistency, frequency, severity, and visibility” of the harassment they experienced at the hands of one store manager.
“No one should have to put up with sexual harassment to get a paycheck,” said Ries. “I filed this lawsuit because I didn’t want other women to go through what I did while working at McDonald’s. I hope those who were abused will get the compensation they deserve, but I also hope McDonald’s will listen to survivors, and do everything possible to prevent sexual harassment in its restaurants.”
