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SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND RETALIATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department announced a lawsuit with the North Little Rock School District today over allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation against a female secretary in the School District's administrative offices.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, alleges that the School District subjected Margaret Ness to a sexually hostile work environment. It also alleged that the School District took adverse action against her, including transferring her to a less desirable position, when she complained about the harassment.

Ms. Ness originally filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which investigated the matter and found reasonable cause to believe Ms. Ness' allegations were true before referring it to the Justice Department.

"The Justice Department is committed to eradicating sexual harassment from our public schools," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "All employees are entitled to a workplace free of hostility based on sex."

The Justice Department's complaint asks the federal district court to enter an order requiring the School District to provide make-whole relief, including compensatory damages, to Ness, and to take other appropriate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

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