Several female Latina workers at a California pool company say they were sexually harassed, groped and retaliated against. They also say the company's mangers subjected them to quid pro quo sexual harassment and fired them for complaining about it.

The eight workers reportedly filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2008. The EEOC then filed a lawsuit against the company, Aqua Tri, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Now, the company has agreed to settle the matter for nearly $463,000.

The women say two male supervisors made sexually explicit remarks, asked them out on dates, touched them inappropriately and said they would promote them in exchange for sex. When the women reported the harassment to management, nothing was done, they say. One was apparently demoted, some were assigned work outside their normal job description - like cleaning toilets - and others were denied overtime. Some say they were forced out of their jobs completely.

Several male workers at Aqua Tri who supported the claims were also apparently laid off as well. After an investigation, the EEOC concluded that the workers had good performance records, according to OC Weekly.

The company agreed to pay $462,500 to settle the lawsuit. Aqua Tri must also hire a human resources specialist who speaks Spanish and hire a consultant to assist with the company's procedures and policies relating to discrimination and harassment. It will also need to provide a complaint hotline for workers and train all employees regarding their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Source: OC Weekly, "Aqua Tri, Irvine pool company, pays nearly half a mil to settle Latinas' sexual harassment suit," Matt Coker, Sept. 28, 2011