Male teens allege sexual touching

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Wyndham Worldwide Corp., alleging that the New Jersey-based corporation failed to stop a resort manager's sexual harassment of employees at its Birch Bay resort.

In a press release, the EEOC contends that an unspecified number of young male workers, including some teenagers, were harassed by a male manager at the Worldmark Birch Bay at 4810 Beachcomber Drive. The lawsuit does not name the alleged offender or the employees.

The press release contends that the manager "repeatedly subjected the male teens to unwelcome touching of a sexual nature, commented about their physical appearance, and placed them in sexually charged situations."

The lawsuit, filed Sept. 28 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, states that the conduct began in 2004.

A Wyndham spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit contends that the manager's behavior deprived male employees of equal employment opportunities. The suit asks the court to impose an injunction ordering Wyndham to stop discriminatory practices, and take steps to ensure equal opportunity for its employees.

The suit also seeks unspecified cash damages for the employees, including punitive damages for "malicious and reckless conduct."

The EEOC's press release says the agency filed the lawsuit after efforts to reach a voluntary settlement failed.

Edward Hill, deputy director of the EEOC's Seattle office, said the law prohibited him from commenting on a pending case.

On its Web site, the EEOC reports that filings involving men as the victims have risen from 9 percent of all sexual harassment charges in 1992 to 15 percent in 2006