Former Maryland Casino Operator Settles Sex Harassment Suit

Golden Entertainment Inc., the former owner and operator of Rocky Gap Casino in Flintstone, Maryland, will pay $100K to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit.

The suit was filed in 2020 by the Baltimore field division of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which announced the settlement on Wednesday.

Golden is alleged to have violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The action began when it continued to assign a female bartender at Rocky Gap to work alongside a male colleague who groped her buttocks and made sexual comments after she complained about the abuse to casino managers.

Not long after that, the harassing bartender approached her from behind and whispered to her that nothing bad would happen to him as a consequence of his misconduct, the EEOC charged.

Following further complaints, Golden eventually reassigned the female bartender, the suit alleged, but to a much- less lucrative station away from her alleged harasser.

In addition to monetary relief for the female bartender, the three-year consent decree resolving the suit requires Golden to implement comprehensive sexual harassment training for all managers, supervisors, and employees. It must also report back to the EEOC on how it handles any sexual harassment complaints.

“Sexual harassment is common in the hospitality industry, and managers of these businesses must be vigilant in protecting employees,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence in a press statement. “Hospitality employees and managers are often trained to be relaxed, friendly, and create a fun, casual environment. However, it must always be clear that this does not mean engaging in, tolerating, or failing to remedy sexual harassment.”

Maryland s fourth casino was built for $6.8 million in 2013 by Minnesota-based Lakes Entertainment in a publicly subsidized golf resort at Rocky Gap State Park. Rocky Gap was acquired in 2015 by Golden Entertainment when the company merged with Lakes Entertainment.

Golden sold the property to New York-based Century Casinos for $56.1 million in a deal that closed in July 2023.