NEW YORK - Tavern on the Green, one of New York's most popular restaurants, has violated federal law for at least eight years by sexually and racially harassing its employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged Monday.

In a federal lawsuit, the EEOC accused the restaurant's managers and non-managerial employees of targeting black and Hispanic women, including a black hostess who said managers repeatedly groped her and made derogatory racial comments.

The lawsuit demanded that the court order the behavior stopped and that victimized employees be compensated with unspecified damages, including back pay and reinstatement in some instances.

Mara Levin, a lawyer for the restaurant, said in a statement that Tavern on the Green complies with all anti-discrimination and sexual harassment laws and will “vigorously defend this action.”

She said the restaurant conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations when they were first made some time ago and found them “entirely devoid of merit.”

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Martha Nyakim Gatkuoth, a hostess at the Central Park landmark for the past four years, and other unidentified employees who it said have faced harassment.

It said the restaurant's former director of operations had harassed Gatkuoth, demanding she engage in sexual acts with him and repeatedly touched and grabbing of her buttocks and breasts.

The lawsuit also said the former director repeatedly used racially derogatory language to refer to her and other black female employees.