05-29-2018
A former Walmart employee is using the resources of the Time’s Up campaign to initiate her lawsuit for sexual harassment. Gina Pitre earned $11.50 per hour while working at Walmart in Mississippi. She has accused her former manager of acting inappropriately and making suggestive comments. Ms. Pitre states that she complained to the company’s ethics department but she was never told the outcome of the investigation.The Time’s Up fund has given Ms. Pitre $3,000 towards her initial legal fees. If the case goes to trial, the fund could give her up to $100,000 to pay for additional fees. In addition to financial support, the Fund brought in actress Susan Sarandon and the advocacy group OUR Walmart. Together with Ms. Pitre, they sent a letter to Walmart demanding changes to the way it handles these issues. As part of their demands, they want stricter policies to protect employees from harassment as well as more transparency in the complaint process, including letting employees know the outcome.
For its part, Walmart denies any wrongdoing with regard to Ms. Pitre’s claims. A “comprehensive investigation” into her claims “could not substantiate a violation” of their Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy. The company has reiterated its policy of not tolerating harassment of any kind.