Bank of New York Mellon Bosses Accused of Discrimination and Workplace Bullying

Paul Nathan, a former Bank of New York Mellon employee, has accused the bank and two of its bosses of discriminating against him because of his race and sexual orientation, and then of retaliating and firing him after he complained about the harassment. 

The two bosses accused of the workplace bullying are Charles Ferrari, a vice president, and Walter Gorski, a supervising assistant manager. 

The acts of racial and sexual harassment that Nathan apparently suffered included name-calling from a number of Bank of New York Mellon employees and derogatory comments about his sexual orientation.  In addition, one coworker allegedly threatened to sodomize Nathan with a stick.

Nathan said that he complained about the harassment to several members of upper management, but he claims that they did nothing to alleviate the hostile work environment.

Carlos Bellido, acting director for the New Jersey attorney general’s civil rights division, said Nathan’s allegations are “very disturbing.”

Source: NorthJersey.com

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Jet2.com CEO Berates Employees in Front of Customers

Philip Meeson, the CEO of Jet2.com, received a warning from Manchester Airport Police after publicly screaming at his own employees in front of hundreds of customers lined up at the airline’s check-in counter.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman reported that airport police officers arrived to the scene after receiving reports that a man was being abusive to staff.

Meeson apparently went ballistic after feeling that his employees were not working hard enough to ease the long lines at the check-in counter.

Source: comparecarrentals.co.uk

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Taco Bell Franchisee Pays $35,000 to Settle Sexual Harassment Suit

Penn Taco Inc., a company that owns six Taco Bell restaurants in Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $35,000 in order to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed against it by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In addition, Penn Taco has agreed to revise its anti-discrimination and workplace bullying policies and to provide relevant training to its supervisors to prevent similar types of incidents from occurring. 

The EEOC has sued the Taco Bell franchisee after its general manager had allegedly subjected female employees at its restaurants in Lancaster and Hanover, PA to sexual harassment, making crude sexual overtures, comments, and gestures towards the women.

The lawsuit also claimed that Penn Taco management did not act to try to stop the abusive behavior after the victims had complained. 

Source: QSR Web

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Hilton Chef Sued for Workplace Bullying

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a hostile workplace lawsuit against the Hilton Lisle/Naperville Hotel.  The EEOC claims that the hotel’s executive chef bullied Hispanic employees, calling them derogatory names such as “wetbacks, f—— Mexicans and stupid Mexicans.”

Though the EEOC declined to name the executive chef, the Hilton Lisle/Naperville hotel website lists Nick Landeweer as the executive chef of the hotel’s Allgauer’s Restaurant.

The EEOC is seeking monetary damages of up to $300,000 per victim, an injunction preventing any further workplace bullying, and staff training to prevent future harassment.

“We completely deny these outrageous and completely false allegations,” said Hilton General Manager Richard Brink.

Source: Chicago Sun Times

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Guess? Model Sues ‘Abusive’ CEO Paul Marciano for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

Lindsey Ring, a former model for fashion company Guess?, has filed a sexual harassment and retailation lawsuit against co-CEO Paul Marciano for allegedly making unwanted sexual advances on Ring.  Ring claims that Marciano lured her into a warehouse in December 2008, turned out the light and tried to kiss her.

After Lindsey Ring rejected Marciano’s advances and complained to her direct boss, the model was told, “This is not the first time this has happened with Mr. Marciano.”

Ring says she was afraid to speak up because of Marciano’s “reputation as an abusive and belligerent boss who would terminate employees at the drop of a hat.”

Ring’s working hours were subsequently cut and, fearing that she might be physically harmed by Marciano, she quit on February 2009.  Ring says that the sexual harassment and retaliation caused her “sleeplessness, anxiety, tension, depression and humiliation.”

Source: Courthouse News Service

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Florida Keys Community College President Ousted from Job

Last month, eBossWatch reported that Florida Keys Community College President Jill Landesberg-Boyle was under investigation for having allegedly created a hostile workplace.

At a special Florida Keys Community College Board of Trustees meeting held last Monday, Landesberg-Boyle announced that she would no longer fight to keep her job.  She will take immediate leave until her contract expires in June 15, 2010, and she will keep her $157,000 annual salary and benefits, which includes a $3,000 monthly housing allowance.

There had been much speculation leading up to the Board of Trustees meeting that the trustees would fire Jill Landesberg-Boyle for what many college employees described as workplace bullying, her hostile management style, and their fears of retaliation if she remained in her position.

Source: Miami Herald

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Workplace Bullying at WIP Radio Station?

John Gonzalez, a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote about a recent incident at the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, where WIP’s radio talk show host Howard Eskin screamed at Gonzalez in front of the players and other reporters.

Gonzales then shed some light about the seemingly hostile work environment that Howard Eskin propagates: “According to station sources, Hugh Douglas and Brian Mitchell were approached about joining Eskin. From what I was told, both turned down the offer because they weren’t sure they’d be able to tolerate Eskin’s sometimes-abrasive personality. I wonder how long Ike Reese will put up with it.”

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

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‘Top Chef’ Fabio Viviani Sues Old ‘Jerk’ Boss at Cafe Firenze

Fabio Viviani, winner of the ‘Top Chef’ reality show, filed a lawsuit against his former boss at the Cafe Firenze restaurant, Michael Takeda, who allegedly promised Viviani $4,000 a month and a 15% ownership stake in Cafe Firenze.

According to the lawsuit, the business at the restaurant skyrocketed to close $4 million per year thanks to the celebrity chef’s affiliation with Cafe Firenze.  Instead of compensating Viviani according to their agreement, Michael Takeda fired his ‘top chef.’

Source: TMZ

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What to do when a former boss lies during a reference check

A job seeker submitted a question to a Q&A forum on Lawyers.com.  She was offered a job, conditional on receiving positive references from her past bosses. 

But when the new employer checked with the job seeker’s previous employers, her last boss lied and said that she stole some items and had attendance issues. 

Click here for the entire post. 

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Pace Airlines CEO Arrested, Sued for Discrimination

Pace Airlines, a charter airline that used to be known as Hooters Air, has ceased operations and has laid off all but a handful of employees after a felony charge was filed against its owner and CEO, William Charles Rodgers, for allegedly failing to make payments on the health insurance policies that covered his 340 employees.

Rodgers was booked into the Forsyth County jail on Tuesday, and was released on Wednesday morning after posting $50,000 bail.  The day after Rodgers was sent to jail, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission added to the CEO’s problems by filing a discrimination lawsuit on behalf of Chau Nguyen, an Asian flight attendant at Pace Airlines who was fired in 2006 after complaining that only white workers were being promoted. The EEOC said that Nguyen had made several complaints of discrimination after missing out on promotion to lead flight attendant.

On Friday, Pace Airlines stopped providing chartered flights for clients that have included the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Bruce Springsteen, and the White House Press Corps.  Pace had been previously owned by the former chairman of Hooters, Robert Brooks, who died in 2006 about three months after Hooters Air went out of business.

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