The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), a regional public transportation authority based in Philadelphia. The settlement resolves the department’s complaint alleging that three officers of the SEPTA Police Department were subjected to a hostile work environment by their supervisor and experienced retaliation when they opposed the harassment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion, and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing employment practices that are discriminatory under Title VII.
“All transit police officers deserve to go to work each day without fear of harassment and retaliation from their supervisors and colleagues,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement sends a clear message that the department stands ready to protect employees who are subject to racial harassment and a hostile work environment, particularly in law enforcement agencies dedicated to serving the public.”
The department’s complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleges that SEPTA subjected the officers, who belonged to a special investigative unit, to racial and religious harassment and...
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