THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997            TAG: 9702110222
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: WATTSVILLE                        LENGTH:   41 lines

NAVY CONTRACTOR SETTLES SEX HARASSMENT SUIT EASTERN SHORE COMPANY WILL PAY $45,000 TO 8 WOMEN TO AVOID A FEDERAL LAWSUIT.

A sexual harassment suit filed by the federal government has led to a court order that calls for an Eastern Shore Navy contractor to pay $45,000 to eight women.

The EEOC sued George S. Alcaraz and his company, APP Ltd., on behalf of eight former and current employees. APP Ltd. provides labor for the food service galley and bachelor's enlisted quarters at the AEGIS Combat Systems Center on Wallops Island.

EEOC investigators said the work environment in the Navy cafeteria was ``permeated with unwelcome, lewd, sexual conduct and comments'' by Alcaraz and other male employees.

Court records say Alcaraz and others would make sexual comments and touch and rub the women while they were working.

``It got so bad I was a nervous wreck,'' one woman said in an interview. ``I was told if I didn't like it, I could hit the highway.''

But she needed the job, and there aren't many on the Eastern Shore. She said she asked for help from the Navy officer who supervised contracts. But he said there was nothing he could do.

She contacted the EEOC in June 1993. EEOC attorney Mildred Rivera said an investigator went to Wallops and documented the harassment. Then the EEOC tried to negotiate an agreement between the government and Alcaraz, said Rivera.

``He flat out refused,'' the attorney said. So the EEOC sued both Alcaraz and his company.

Rivera said Alcaraz agreed to pay $45,000 rather than go through expensive litigation. The consent agreement also requires him to receive counseling, obtain sex harassment training for APP's work force and adopt a company policy against sexual harassment.

Jill Jester, public affairs officer for AEGIS at Wallops, said her command was aware of the sexual harassment proceedings and had no comment.

Alcaraz would not comment on the suit.

KEYWORDS: SEXUAL HARASSMENT SETTLEMENT LAWSUIT