After Reporting Sexual Harassment, Employee Is Accused of Stealing and Hours Are Reduced.

David ManesLawsuits & Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Employee Files Lawsuit against Social Status and Robert Johnson for Sex Discrimination

Tashiah joined Social Status as a part-time sale associate in January 2017. She worked Monday through Friday with 3-hour evening shifts and an 8-hour shift on Saturdays. Soon after starting, Tashiah’s shift manager, Robert, began to sexually harass her.

According to Tashiah, her manager told her that he was attracted to her. Not stopping there, he allegedly told her that he wanted to have sex with her, to have her perform oral sex on him, and to have sex with her and another woman. Tashiah refused his advances and suggestions, asking him to stop. She was not interested. But still, Tashiah remembered that Robert followed her around the store, offering her money and store items in exchange for sex. She rejected the offers, but Tashiah shared that Robert groped her anyway. Other coworkers witnessed the interaction and reported the situation to the district manager.

When the district manager called Tashiah, she hoped for relief from the situation. Instead, the district manager informed her nothing could be done. Tashiah tried to outline how Robert continued to make advances despite her voiced rejections, but the district manager told her that Robert had accused Tashiah of stealing from the store. Tashiah denied the accusation. According to Tashiah, the district manager explained that her allegations against Robert looked like retaliation for his report of her stealing.

Tashiah’s hours were reduced to only one or two days a week, upsetting the work schedule and shrinking her income. And she still had to work with her harasser during those shifts. Tashiah recalled that no investigation was opened, and her coworkers became increasingly annoyed with Tashiah since all of their schedules had been adjusted due to her reduced hours. Forced to continue working with Robert and making less money, Tashiah saw no other option than to resign.

Since Social Status failed to investigate or discipline Robert for his sexual harassment but instead reduced Tashiah’s hours, Tashiah believes that she suffered discrimination due to her gender. As a client of KM&A, she is fighting for her employee rights. KM&A challenges employers who try to get away with sex discrimination.

 

Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 2:18-cv-00238-CB

Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is an employment law firm with principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, serving all counties in Pennsylvania, focusing on employment law, business law, litigation, and civil issues. KM&A clients include employees, small businesses, parties in litigation, and people with a variety of legal issues.

For more information about this case, contact Attorney Sean Ruppert at (412) 626-5550  or at sr@lawkm.com.

NOTICE: All information contained in this statement comes from the Complaint which has been filed as a public record with the court. As dedicated civil rights attorneys, we strongly believe in the public value of telling our clients’ stories: violators can be held accountable, and other silent victims can feel empowered to stand up for their legal rights. Although we make every attempt to verify our clients’ claims, note that the defendant is expected to oppose our client’s position, and the court has not ruled one way or the other as of the date of this statement.