California Casino Workers Allege Sexual Misconduct Allegations Not Handled Properly

Posted on: December 20, 2021, 06:51h. 

Last updated on: December 20, 2021, 09:22h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Former restaurant servers who worked at a California casino owned and operated by a federally recognized tribe claim they are not being taken seriously. They say their repeated complaints regarding alleged sexual harassment and misconduct committed by one of their associates were not handled properly.

California casino Rain Rock sexual harassment
The exterior of the Rain Rock Casino in Northern California is viewed. The casino restaurant was the scene of workplace sexual misconduct, three former servers allege. (Image: Rain Rock Casino)

The Rain Rock Casino in Yreka, Calif., is where the alleged managerial and human resources shortcomings were incurred. The tribal casino is located in the remote Shasta Valley in Northern California, just 20 miles from the Oregon border.

Three servers at the Rain Rock Restaurant who have each since left claim one of their coworkers repeatedly acted inappropriately on the job. Adohra Solomon, one of the three females who took their grievances public on Facebook, claims she told her manager regarding the unnamed individual’s provocation.

She told CBS News 10 in Sacramento that she witnessed her manager taking the accused man into his office for a meeting. But the alleged misconduct persisted.

A customer also later complained to the manager regarding the man’s inappropriate behavior with the female waitstaff. Solomon says her coworker was given a two-day suspension.

That’s when I quit because I was not okay with that being the only punishment he got after it had gone on for months,” Solomon explained.

The three women have not filed a lawsuit against Rain Rock. Instead, they’ve simply aired their frustrations on a Facebook public group message board called the “Siskiyou County Grapevine.”

Rain Rock Tells Different Account

The Rain Rock Casino is the economic lifeline of the Karuk Tribe and its nearly 5,000 enrolled members. The casino currently features 349 slot machines and eight table games.

The tribe in June announced major expansion plans for the casino. The development includes an 80-room hotel, additional gaming space, a 4,000-square-foot meeting facility, and new food and beverage options. Construction is slated to finish late next year or early 2023.

Rain Rock business has been good despite the recent challenges caused by the pandemic. As for the sexual wrongdoing claims, the tribe says the allegations were handled appropriately.

When these allegations arose in June, Rain Rock Casino promptly investigated the allegations pursuant to its anti-harassment and discrimination policy that is applied to all employees. Pursuant to that policy, employee confidentiality is important to Rain Rock Casino, and we cannot comment further on the specifics here,” a statement from the casino read.

Rain Rock went on to say that all of its employees undergo harassment and discrimination training. It added the casino has a “robust policy” for addressing any and all allegations of workplace transgressions.

State Laws Apply

Since Rain Rock is a tribal casino on sovereign land, the business is immune from most state governance. However, when it comes to employment regulations, California law applies.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has an online submission form that allows anonymous filings of discrimination complaints.

The state agency explains that it reviews all submissions and decides whether the allegations and related facts warrant further investigation. While the DFEH can take legal action against employers believed to be in violation of California’s workplace code, the department first attempts to resolve the dispute out of court.