EEOC: Calif. hotel operator settles lawsuits alleging it only hired Chinese banquet servers

Calif. hotel settles Chinese-only worker cases

LOS ANGELES — A California company accused of refusing to hire banquet servers who are not Chinese has settled two lawsuits filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EEOC said Wednesday that Landwin Management Inc., which was hired to run the San Gabriel Hilton hotel, has agreed to pay $500,000. Landwin will also make significant policy changes and abide by a three-year consent decree.

The agreement will settle a discrimination lawsuit and sexual harassment lawsuit filed in 2007 in Los Angeles.

The sexual harassment lawsuit alleged female employees were forced to work in a hostile environment and were targets of verbal abuse. The commission says Landwin failed to respond to employee complaints about the abusive supervisor.

A message was left with Landwin.