SAN ANTONIO – The former management company of the La Cantera Resort and Spa has settled in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after operators at the resort were accused of subjecting their Hispanic employees to harassment and discriminatory discipline.
DH San Antonio Management LLC and Destination Hotels and Resorts LLC are accused of forbidding Hispanic banquet employees from speaking Spanish anywhere at the resort in the fall of 2014.
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Hispanic employees at the resort alleged the operators allowed people of other nationalities to speak their language, but forbid Spanish.
The lawsuit stated many Hispanic employees were referred to in derogatory terms, and Spanish was deemed a “foul language.”
On Friday, representatives with the resort said the claims are without merit, but it was decided there was value in bringing the matter to a conclusion and agreed to a $2.65 million settlement.
“This matter goes back five years, citing an alleged English-only speaking policy in a single department. Several employees, who are among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, remain employed at the resort, in that same department,” said John Spomer, the vice president and managing director of La Cantera Resort and Spa. “We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation in any form and are proud to employ a diverse, multicultural workforce with ethnic minorities being the majority of our staff. We remain committed to our associates and guests and will continue to embrace the diverse culture of the San Antonio community.”