CATALINA LOPEZ VASQUEZ IN THE US

Catalina Lopez Vasquez reports sexual harassment at Wackenhut – and retaliation for speaking out. And she’s not the only one…

Catalina Lopez Vasquez, a security officer for G4S subsidiary Wackenhut in Puerto Rico, reports that she was repeatedly verbally and physically harassed by a coworker. Rather than disciplining the man, Lopez reports, Wackenhut promoted him to become her supervisor – and retaliated against her for exposing his inappropriate behavior.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has brought legal action against Wackenhut for these alleged abuses. According to the Commission, “the harassment included, but was not limited to, frequent, egregious sexual comments and displays including vulgar comments regarding sexual acts, offensive remarks regarding his own genital area and comments regarding Mrs. Lopez’ breasts and buttocks. On at least one occasion, he squeezed Mrs. Lopez’ body and grabbed her breast.”

Lopez bravely spoke out against this inappropriate treatment. The Commission has stated that she repeatedly complained to Wackenhut’s General Manager and, eventually, Human Resources director. According to the Commission, not only did these men fail to remedy the situation, but Mrs. Lopez’s tormentor was promoted while she was subjected to what the Commission calls retaliation. The Commission writes that Wackenhut added to Lopez’s suffering by “subjecting her to involuntary adverse work location transfers, undesirable shifts, and adverse terms and conditions of her employment.”

Lopez, whose case is still in progress, is not the only woman who made allegations of sexist discrimination at Wackenhut and then reported experiencing retaliation. Karen Franklin received a $75,000 judgment from Wackenhut in March 2006 after filing suit for gender discrimination, racial discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, and disability discrimination. Franklin, who was a management employee, stated in her complaint that her superiors made “highly offensive comments… regarding her appearance and sexuality.” When she acted in her managerial capacity, she reported, the Manager of Physical Security said that she “sounded like his wife.”

After being involved in documenting, reporting, and responding to a sexual harassment charge, Franklin reports that she experienced retaliation “in the form of pulling her hair, throwing objects at her, excluding her from meetings, making damaging statements about her to others, and humiliating her in front of subordinates.” Her management role was cut back, and she was demoted with a decrease in pay and in rank.

Have you been the victim of discrimination or other violations of your human rights while working for a G4S subsidiary?  Tell us your story.