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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2025
State of Minnesota Agrees, Absolute Drywall Allows Sexual Harassment and Rape
Employee sexually harassed and raped at work, fired after reporting harassment
Minnesota’s civil rights law requires employers to prevent and stop sexual harassment and assault
[St. Paul, MN] Following a comprehensive investigation, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, today filed to join a lawsuit against Absolute Drywall for violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by allowing an employee to sexually harass and rape another employee and then firing her after she reported the harassment.
“We are sending a clear reminder to all employers: you must provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. When anyone is discriminated against or harassed, our state and our businesses are deprived of enormous potential,” said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero. “Norma deserved to be treated with humanity. Instead, Absolute Drywall allowed sexual harassment and rape to go unchecked. Our Department will hold employers like Absolute Drywall accountable when they violate the law because employees in every industry, including the construction industry, must be able to live with dignity, free from discrimination.”
Minnesota has one of the highest percentages of women working in construction. At the same time, sexual harassment in the construction industry is a prevalent issue. According to a 2021 report by the Institute for Women’s Policy and Research, nearly one in four women working in construction surveyed stated that they experience near constant sexual harassment on the job.
“The State’s decision to join my case against Absolute Drywall is an acknowledgment of not only my truth, but also the unacceptable reality that women like me, Latina women, too often face sexual harassment and assault in the construction industry,” said Norma Izaguirre. “I hope that by standing up for myself and speaking out, other women feel empowered to tell their stories and employers who are abusive to their workers are held accountable.”
In January 2021, Norma Izaguirre began working as a drywall laborer for Absolute Drywall. An employee immediately and consistently sexually harassed Izaguirre, made unwanted sexual advances, and assaulted her. In May 2021, the employee raped Izaguirre at a worksite in Eagan.
Izaguirre reported the harassment to Absolute Drywall five times. The company failed to take any meaningful action to stop the harassment, allowing the harassment to continue. Instead, Absolute Drywall fired Izaguirre because she reported the sexual harassment to the company.
Izaguirre contacted the Department of Human Rights, which launched an investigation into Absolute Drywall. The Department of Human Rights’ investigation uncovered that Absolute Drywall fostered a workplace culture that allowed sexual harassment and rape. The company, for example, did not have any policies prohibiting sexual harassment or clear ways for employees to make sexual harassment complaints.
The Department of Human Rights concluded that Absolute Drywall violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which requires employers to prevent and stop sexual harassment and assault.
“Minnesotans deserve to live and work with dignity, safety, and respect,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. “Absolute Drywall fell abysmally short of providing that environment for their employees, so today, we are taking action. By filing to join this lawsuit, we are making it clear that what happened to Norma is completely unacceptable, and that the State of Minnesota will hold employers accountable if they permit sexual harassment and assault to take place on the job. To any workers that have been the victim of similar conduct on the job, I encourage you to share your stories with my office or the Department of Human Rights, if you feel comfortable doing so.”
“I am grateful for the partnership of the Department of Human Rights and Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, and I look forward to continuing our work to defend the rights and freedoms of Minnesotans,” added Ellison.
By filing to join this lawsuit, the Department of Human Rights emphasizes that the State will not allow sexual harassment and rape to go unchecked.
The complaint demands that Absolute Drywall make transformational changes and pay Izaguirre for damages.
The Department of Human Rights wants Absolute Drywall to have and enforce clear anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and wants to ensure that Absolute Drywall’s employees, including employees who speak Spanish, know about the policies and can easily report sexual harassment, assault, and other forms of discrimination.
“The court-ordered changes we’re seeking will help women, like Norma, who deserve respect in the workplace,” continued Commissioner Lucero.
The Department of Human Rights is seeking to join the lawsuit filed in Minnesota’s First Judicial District by Norma Izaguirre, who is represented by the firm Nichols Kaster PLLP and the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.
In February 2025, the employee who raped Izaguirre pleaded guilty to felony criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state’s civil rights enforcement agency and is responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, one of the strongest state civil rights laws in the country.
If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by submitting this online form.
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