In a Feb. 9 decision, a federal judge ordered the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pay CRST Van Expedited Inc. more than $4.5 million of attorney fees, costs and expenses in an alleged EEOC Title VII sexual harassment case.

The EEOC filed suit against CRST in September 2007, alleging the carrier had engaged in a pattern or practice of tolerating sexual harassment of its female drivers.  CRST denied the allegations.

On Oct. 1, 2009, Chief Judge Linda R. Reade of the Northern District of Iowa issued a final judgment dismissing all of the EEOC’s claims against CRST. In particular, Judge Reade rejected the EEOC’s claim that CRST management tolerated sexual harassment of the company’s drivers.

In her Feb. 9 decision, Judge Reade found the financial award against the EEOC was warranted because the EEOC, among other things, acted unreasonably by suing CRST without conducting a proper investigation.