An Iowa trucking company has been obligated to pay $50,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed in 2007. According to sources, the lead plaintiff in the case, who is named Monika Starke, and 270 other female employees at CRST Van Expedited Inc. were reportedly exposed to a hostile work environment.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which worked on the case, claimed that CRST’s New-Driver Training program subjected women to inappropriate behavior on a regular basis. The company’s CEO David Rusch said that the female’s claims were completely false and that his company was being unfairly targeted for no apparent reason.

”Somebody was claiming that we tolerate harassment, which is absolutely erroneous, absolutely a witch hunt, and that’s why we took the aggressive posture that we did,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The first accusations were launched in 2005 when Starke was assigned to work with a male colleague who purportedly directed sexually explicit comments her way and even hit on her. CRST vehemently denied the plaintiff’s allegations. Starke contacted the EEOC, which then submitted a class-action lawsuit in 2007 after a settlement was not reached on behalf of all the women who experienced similar behavior at the hands of CRST’s employees.

Rusch said that after he was notified of Starke’s claims and those of other women, he began reassigning drivers. He also reported that many of the complaints were handled within his company.

If you live in Missouri and have experienced sexual harassment at work, then consider scheduling a consultation with a Kansas City lawyer. These experienced and locally based professionals can assess your claim, try your case in court and help you recover damages you may be entitled to.