Ford OKs $7.75-Million Harassment Settlement : Workplace: Up to 900 women employed at two of the auto maker’s plants will receive payments.

CHICAGO — Ford Motor Co. reached an agreement with the federal government Tuesday to pay $7.75 million to as many as 900 women to settle complaints that they were groped and subjected to crude comments and graffiti at two of the auto maker’s plants.

Separately Tuesday, a federal judge denied Ford’s request to block a man from putting the company’s internal documents on his Internet site, saying such an order would violate the 1st Amendment.

Ford’s agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the second-largest settlement by an auto maker over sexual harassment charges.

A record $34-million settlement involving almost identical allegations against Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing of America Inc. received final approval in June.

Ford’s settlement also calls for sensitivity training by outside consultants at the auto maker’s plants.

Under the agreement, $7.5 million in damages would be split among 700 to 900 women who can show sexual harassment or sex discrimination at Ford plants in Chicago and suburban Chicago Heights.

How much each claimant receives will be decided by a three-member independent board.

The board will supervise efforts within the plants to root out sexual harassment and discrimination.

Under the settlement, more women will get management positions.

In the Internet case, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds did ban Robert Lane, a 32-year-old nursing student and Ford enthusiast, from destroying any Ford documents. She also ordered Lane not to violate Ford copyrights and ordered him not to solicit information from Ford employees.