BRAINERD — The Minnesota Department of Human Rights filed a lawsuit Thursday, Jan. 18, against a Brainerd printing business over alleged failure to stop sexual harassment and assault by a supervisor.
Sheridan, formerly known as Bang Printing, is accused of violating Minnesota’s civil rights law when it took little to no action after receiving complaints about the supervisor's conduct.
Despite one of the victims reporting the harassment to human resources, the company did not investigate and promoted the alleged perpetrator to another leadership position, the lawsuit states.
“There cannot be a meaningful end to sexual harassment when those who are in positions of power to end it deliberately do nothing."Rebecca Lucero, Minnesota Department of Human Rights commissioner
In a news release, the human rights department stated it is seeking structural change at the business to ensure Sheridan employees are provided a work environment free of sexual harassment and assault.
“Sheridan knew a supervisor was sexually harassing and assaulting its employees and, through willful inaction, gave this supervisor a license to sexually harass its employees,” stated Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero in the release.
“There cannot be a meaningful end to sexual harassment when those who are in positions of power to end it deliberately do nothing. That is why our department will use the full power of Minnesota’s civil rights law to push employers to be active participants in addressing and preventing sexual harassment from occurring in the first place.”
A person who answered the phone at Sheridan on Thursday said she was instructed by company leadership to provide no comment on the case.
Sheridan is owned by CJK Group, Inc. and operates as D. & J. Printing.
The two employees at the center of the lawsuit stated they are pursuing the suit because they hope it makes a difference in preventing sexual harassment and assault in the future.
The suit seeks several court orders, including one finding the company violated the law and one requiring it to cease and desist from practices violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The state is also seeking compensation for the employees for damages they suffered, including the actual financial impacts, punitive damages and damages for mental anguish and suffering.
The suit also seeks to require the company to create, review and revise policies in compliance with the law; to require employees to undergo training in sex discrimination and sexual harassment; to pay a civil penalty; and to cover legal costs incurred by the human rights department and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
More from the lawsuit
In December 2019, CJK Group closed another printing operation it owned, Sentinel Printing in St. Cloud. The alleged perpetrator was transferred from that location to Sheridan, where he supervised small machine operators in the plant.
In June 2020, the supervisor began sexually harassing and assaulting two employees, according to the suit. This included regular unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted touching and offensive comments.
The next month, one of the employees filed a complaint. But without an investigation, discipline or measures to prevent further harassment, the incidents continued. The second employee quit her job in October 2020 because of the continued harassment.
In January 2021, after the initial harassment complaint, Sheridan promoted the supervisor to a management role in the plant. Upon learning this, the first employee submitted another complaint. Only then did Sheridan act by issuing a verbal warning to the supervisor, the suit stated. This warning proved to be ineffective because the harassment continued.
The employees filed charges of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in May 2021, alleging the company subjected them to sexual harassment in violation of state law. That same month, the human rights department informed Sheridan of a neutral investigation into allegations of a workplace culture allowing the sexual harassment and assault to occur.
According to the lawsuit, it wasn’t until the human rights department informed Sheridan of this investigation that the company launched its own third-party investigation, almost a year after the initial harassment complaint. That investigator interviewed at least nine witnesses and reviewed documentation, finding evidence to support at least some of the harassment allegations. In July 2021, Sheridan fired the alleged perpetrator.
Through its neutral investigation, the human rights department found probable cause in January 2023 that Sheridan violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Attempts to resolve the case with Sheridan were unsuccessful, leading to the lawsuit.
Facing discrimination?
If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this online form.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
