Administaff and Conn-X sued by EEOC for anti-Semitic workplace bullying

The EEOC filed a lawsuit against staffing company Administaff, Inc. and Conn-X, LLC, a cable service provider in Baltimore, for subjecting Jewish employees to religious discrimination and workplace bullying.

The lawsuit claims that the two companies subjected Scott Jacobson and Joey Jacobson, who are brothers, to physical and verbal harassment and a hostile work environment because of their religion, Judaism. The victims claim that from September 2005 and continuing for several years, they were called “dirty Jew,” “dumb Jew,” and other anti-Semitic slurs by managers and coworkers.

The physical harassment included an incident in which Scott Jacobson’s work vehicle was defaced with a swastika and an incident in which he was forced into a trash dumpster for the amusement of managers, who observed the entire incident on a work surveillance camera. 

“The harassment here was cruel and callous,” said EEOC Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. “The use of the swastika is an especially egregious and provocative act, and the anti-Semitic epithets and physical violence alleged here are also outrageous. The EEOC will act, and act forcefully, to rectify this kind of workplace abuse.”

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Cheesecake Factory pays $345,000 to settle male-on-male sexual harassment lawsuit

The EEOC announced that Cheesecake Factory Inc has agreed to pay $345,000 to six male employees who were allegedly sexually harassed by other male kitchen workers at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Chandler, Arizona.

The EEOC lawsuit claimed that the workplace bullies touched the victims inappropriately, made inappropriate sexual comments, and forced the victims into repeated incidents of simulated rape.  In one instance, managers allegedly witnessed employees dragging the male victims kicking and screaming into a refrigerated room.

Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney of the EEOC district office in Phoenix, said, “The evidence was clear, and everyone knew about it. Beyond the lavish decor that the company boasts on its website was a horribly dysfunctional workplace where male workers lived in fear.”

Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Chandler, AZ

Despite the fact that the victims, Bryce Fitzpatrick, Albert Miller, Jesse DeJong, Michael Wilson, John Andrew, and Julio Muñoz, complained to almost every manager at the restaurant, but none of the managers did anything to stop the workplace bullying.

One victim eventually called the police and reported the hostile work environment and sexual harassment.  Chandler police investigated the incidents but did not file any charges.

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Toxic boss ‘brought prostitutes to business meetings’

A former employee accused UK-based Nomos Capital owner, Mark Lowe, of sex discrimination and creating a hostile work environment by telling inappropriate, sexist jokes to employees and by frequently bringing prostitutes to business meetings.

Mark Lowe

 

Jordan Wimmer, 29, is suing Lowe for £4 million at a London employment tribunal for firing her from her £500,000 a year job as a marketing executive after having subjected her to ongoing sexual harassment.

Wimmer testified that Lowe, who is estimated to be worth £103 million, brought an Asian escort named Ling to investor and distribution meetings in Hong Kong in October 2005.  Wimmer said, “In spite of everyone else wearing formal business attire on these occasions Ling wore designer hot pants which barely covered her buttocks, stilettos and no stockings… which was very inappropriate.”  Lowe also allegedly brought a Russian escort to business meetings in London, Paris and Geneva.

On the Paris trip, Wimmer told the tribunal that Lowe took Ms Wimmer and a female colleague to two topless clubs during their Paris trip, where Lowe suggested that they get their own “private lap dance.”

Wimmer also alleged that Lowe repeatedly told sexist jokes to employees and that he referred to Wimmer as a “bimbo” and “stupid blonde” on a number of occasions.

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Lost actor Henry Ian Cusick settles hostile work environment lawsuit

Attorneys announced that the parties settled the hostile work environment lawsuit that was filed against Lost actor Henry Ian Cusic, ABC Entertainment, and production company Grass Skirt Entertainment.  The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

A former ABC production employee, Chelsea Stone, had sued Henry Ian Cusic and ABC for sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.  In October 2007, Shone accused the actor of groping and kissing her “while making moaning sounds.”

After she complained to supervisors, ABC and Grass Skirt Entertainment allegedly did nothing while Cusic and other employees created a hostile work environment for Stone, who was subsequently fired 12 days after having complained about Cusic’s harassment.

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The best boss in Boston

A manager at EMC Corporation was selected by Boston.com readers from about a dozen finalists as “Boston’s Best Boss.”  Nancie Ruane, manager of the product data stewardship team at EMC, credits three aspects of her management style for contributing to her success: two-way communication, mutual respect, and setting clear expectations.

Ruane has an open-door policy, and her team members have the ability to make significant decisions without having to seek her approval.  In nominating Ruane in the ‘best boss’ contest, one of her employees wrote, “Nancie is not only our boss, she truly is our friend.”

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Confessions of a bad boss

In his latest column, Scott Smith recalls a period during the 1980s in which he behaved like a workplace bully and was, as he describes himself, ”an arrogant, self-centered, immature jerk.”  Smith, who is the Lifestyle Editor at Colorado’s The Pueblo Chieftain newspaper, has publicly admitted being a bad boss in order to thank a close friend and colleague who gave Smith a “verbal wake-up call” and helped him acknowledge his abusive behavior.

Smith, writing in the third person, describes one of his workplace tirades:

“He whined about decisions that he deemed incorrect or flat-out stupid. He was intolerant of others’ deficiencies, be they real or imagined. He second-guessed his boss, but never to his face. He was sure he could do everyone’s job better than they could. He spewed venom and perfected the nuances of passive-aggressive behavior. He created chaos where none was needed. One day, he was pontificating to a co-worker about everything that was wrong in the department, the newsroom and the newspaper in general. His words were vitriolic, his attitude predictably self-righteous.”

We commend Smith for the courage that he has exhibited in publicly acknowledging that he is a recovering workplace bully who is now trying to be a better person by “focusing more on building than on destroying.  More kindness and compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, empathy and love.”

Click here to read Smith’s entire column.
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Hostile work envrionment complaints filed against Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam

Washington State’s Pierce County is investigating six complaints filed by employees against Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam that claim he has abused his authority, wasted public money, and created a hostile work environment.

The complaints include two that accused Washam of discrimination, retaliation, and unfair labor practices.

Administrative officer Sally Barnes accused the assessor-treasurer of discriminating against her because of her age and gender and retaliating against her for complaining about religious references that Washam made at the office.

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Louisville Animal Services director sued for sexual harassment and retaliation

Dawn Simpson, a former animal-care manager at the Louisville Metro Animal Services Center, has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Animal Services Director Gilles Meloche for creating a “toxic, intolerable and hostile work environment” from which “she had no choice but to resign.”

Meloche’s assistant, Wayne Zelinsky, was also named in the suit for retaliating against Simpson after she filed the sexual harassment complaint.  Simpson’s requests for time off were then allegedly ignored, she was unfairly disciplined, and she had duties and responsibilities taken away.

Simpson’s lawsuit claims that Meloche’s harassment started three days after she started working for the department.  She says Meloche repeatedly touched her stomach and lower back in a “sexually suggestive/flirting manner.”

After Simpson complained about the harassment to Zelinsky, he allegedly took no action other than telling her that Meloche “doesn’t understand the concept of personal space.”

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Sexual harassment lawsuit filed against California Pizza Kitchen

California Pizza Kitchen has been sued by a former employee at its Palo Alto restaurant who claims she was subjected to sexual harassment and abusive behavior by her supervisor, Andy Lee, then retaliated against when she complained to management.

The lawsuit states that Lee had informed the plaintiff that he had prior sexual harassment complaints filed against him.  Lee allegedly began harassing the employee almost immediately after she was hired, and California Pizza Kitchen failed to stop the workplace bullying when company managers were informed about Lee’s abusive behavior. 

Instead, the lawsuit claims that the victim was illegally retaliated against by CPK, and she was targeted for wrongful termination.

“It’s outrageous that California Pizza Kitchen would not take sexual harassment complaints by its female employees seriously, especially when the harasser is a manager and multiple witnesses confirm the sexual harassment.” said the plaintiff’s lawyer, Kelly Armstrong. “This tells me that either California Pizza Kitchen does not care about protecting its employees or is unfamiliar with sexual harassment law.”

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Male employee details how he was sexually harassed by his male boss

Steven Erickson, a former employee at Mark’s Motors Inc in Brattleboro, Vermont has given detailed allegations on his blog of the male on male sexual harassment that his former boss, Mark Lanoue, inflicted on him. 

Erickson writes that he is “looking to sue Mark Lanoue for $250,000 for wages garnished, withheld, and/or stolen without my permission, for damages, for male on male sexual harassment, and for the hostile working environment.”

In his blog, which also contains videos and pictures that he recorded to prove his allegations, Erickson gives the following graphic and disturbing account of some of the abuse that he allegedly endured at Mark’s Motors:

“Mark Lanoue has grabbed my buttocks…and had even tried to grab my genitals in front of other Marks Motors Inc employees. There probably isn’t a male, or female, Marks Motors employee or salesperson who either hasn’t been spoken to inappropriately, or has not been groped or otherwise abused witnessed the mostly male on male sexual harrasment.”

We commend Steven Erickson for his courage to openly and publicly discuss the workplace bullying that he experienced.

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