APL Maritime Resolves Sexual Harassment Lawsuit in US Court

APL Maritime, a U.S.-based subsidiary of French shipping giant CMA CGM, has reached a confidential settlement in a sexual harassment case brought before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

The case involved Quentin Brown, a former employee of APL Maritime, who alleged he experienced sexual harassment while working aboard the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, a vessel built in 2015. The lawsuit, filed by Brown and his wife, Fahmi Rahmani, sought damages for the workplace harassment he endured.

The settlement, which includes APL Maritime, CMA CGM, and the couple, was resolved privately, with no financial terms disclosed.

Brown and Rahmani initiated the legal action against CMA CGM and its subsidiary on September 25, 2024. At the time, CMA CGM reiterated its stance against harassment, emphasizing that such behavior was not tolerated.

This case follows another lawsuit filed earlier in September 2024, where a seafarer accused CMA CGM of failing to address violence and sexual harassment by a former chief engineer on the 2002-built APL Gulf Express.