by Patricia A. Schaeffer, Vice President-Regulatory Affairs
SunWest Federal Credit Union will pay $250,000 to two female employees, who were allegedly subjected to sexual and gender harassment by a former manager, to settle a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The consent decree also requires the company to provide training and other relief aimed at educating its employees about sexual harassment and retaliation, and their rights under equal employment laws. The EEOC alleged in its lawsuit that a SunWest manager harassed the women on the basis of their gender, including leering at them, touching them without their consent, referring to them in derogatory terms, and yelling at and intimidating them.