Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Hacienda Hotel

On May 30, 1986, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC” or “the Commission”) initiated this employment discrimination action against appellant Ha cienda Hotel (“Hacienda” or “the Hotel”), an establishment operated by Las Freres Hacienda in El Segundo, California, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(l)(1982). The Commission alleged that the Hacienda, its General Manager (Frank Godoy), its Executive Housekeeper (Alicia Castro), and its Chief of Engineering (William Nusbaum), had engaged in unlawful employment practices against female employees in the Hacienda housekeeping department by sexually harassing them, terminating them when they became pregnant, failing to accommodate their religious beliefs, and retaliating against them for opposing Hacienda’s discriminatory practices. Relief was sought and obtained on behalf of five current and former Hacienda maids, all but one of whom were undocumented aliens, who were alleged to have been victims of appellant’s discriminatory employment practices during 1982 and 1983. We affirm.

I

The Hotel hired Teodora Castro in June 1980. Teodora became pregnant in late 1981 and continued to work for defendant. During the course of her…