SunTrust settles sexual harassment suit for $300K

SARASOTA — SunTrust Bank agreed to a $300,000 settlement in a case where federal authorities alleged that a branch manager in Sarasota subjected three female employees to ongoing sexual harassment.

The case was a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The allegations against the manager, according to a release, include: He repeatedly trapped a 20-year-old female behind the teller counter with his body; he told a woman she should wear a bathing suit to work; and he frequently caressed and gabbed a female employee. The EEOC complaint also alleges the manager would “stare at, and comment on, the breasts and bodies of SunTrust's female clients who came into the branch.”

SunTrust officials, in a statement, say they are pleased to have reached an agreement to resolve the case. “SunTrust has a strong commitment to a harassment-free work environment,” the statement reads. “This was an isolated matter, and the accused team member is no longer employed at the company. In accordance with our policy, this matter was promptly and fully investigated when made known to SunTrust.”