Oklahoma McDonald’s Franchisee Arch Fellow North Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Suit

Arch Fellow North, LLC, the owner and operator of eight McDonald’s restaurants in eastern Oklahoma, agreed to a consent decree resolving an EEOC lawsuit that alleged an adult male supervisor sexually harassed a teenage worker and that the company failed to properly investigate the complaint. The settlement provides $80,000 in monetary relief and requires injunctive measures intended to change how managers and crew handle harassment complaints.

The EEOC charged that the harassment occurred in November 2021 and that Arch Fellow North allowed the supervisor to keep supervising the teenage victim and other young workers, prompting the teenage worker to quit. The agency says the conduct violated Title VII’s prohibition on workplace sexual harassment and pursued the case after attempting pre-litigation conciliation. The suit was filed as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Arch Fellow North LLC d/b/a McDonald’s, Civil Action No. 6:23-cv-00331, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason A. Robertson entered and approved the consent decree on Jan. 28.

Under the consent decree, Arch Fellow North must designate personnel to ensure compliance with Title VII, enact stronger policies and procedures for reporting and handling sexual harassment complaints, and provide mandatory training for supervisors and non-supervisory employees. The company also must post a notice to employees about their federal right to be free from sexual harassment, provide multiple avenues for employees to complain, and report allegations of sexual harassment to the EEOC. EEOC St. Louis District Director David Davis said, “The injunctive relief in this decree, including its mandatory training requirements, policy changes and reporting obligations, will help ensure that Arch Fellow North’s managers and supervisors are held accountable for maintaining a safe and respectful workplace.”

For workers at Arch Fellow North’s restaurants, the decree could change daily dynamics between crew and managers by creating clearer reporting paths and mandatory training aimed at preventing future misconduct. The designation of compliance personnel and the obligation to report alleged harassment to the EEOC add external oversight that may increase accountability for store leadership.

Key questions remain unanswered in the available materials: whether the supervisor faced discipline, whether the consent decree includes confidentiality terms, and whether Arch Fellow North has issued a public statement. The settlement follows a trend of franchise-level agreements with the EEOC and will be one to watch for its implementation details and its effect on how franchises handle complaints from teenage and other frontline workers.