Isophoric News · Sunday, October 18, 2026
Il Fornaio agrees to pay $3 million to settle EEOC harassment allegations
California-based restaurant chain Il Fornaio agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that female employees, many of them teenagers, were sexually harassed and forced to quit after the company failed to stop the harassment, the EEOC announced Tuesday, HR Dive reported. Il Fornaio denied the allegations, and the three-year consent decree states that it is not an admission of liability or an adjudication of any alleged wrongdoing, according to HR Dive. The company's director of marketing and creative services, Matt Foley, said Il Fornaio entered the decree "to avoid the burden, expense, and uncertainty of continued litigation" and has increased its efforts to prevent harassment. The decree requires HR staff and managers to complete annual training for three years, and EEOC acting regional attorney Beatriz Andre said the agency learned of at least 100 women it says were negatively affected.
