In August 2017, a group of six women filed a lawsuit against The Plaza Hotel, alleging that during their employment at the hotel, they were subjected to uncomfortable, invasive remarks from cooks and other colleagues, including a celebrity chef associated with the hotel. The women involved in the claim are all current or former servers at the hotel.
In the lawsuit, the women allege that they were subjected to rape culture in the workplace. They claim that their complaints to management went unacknowledged and that they were shamed for discussing their experiences. In response, a spokesperson for the hotel told the New York Post that the hotel takes all claims of harassment and discrimination seriously and that when warranted, it takes appropriate action to remedy the situation. The hotel’s spokesperson stated that it does not retaliate against staff members who make claims in good faith.
Old Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Amended to Include New Claims
Initially, the claim was a 50-page document outlining numerous sexist and degrading incidents that allegedly occurred in the claimants’ time as employees at the hotel. The incidents included male employees behaving in a suggestive manner with phallic objects like bananas and pens, telling female employees their explicit sexual desires, and a union delegate making a crude comment to an employee. After that employee complained about the incident, she was placed on leave.
In the amended version of the claim, a specific celebrity chef is alleged to have made sexually charged comments to an employee and on one occasion, drunkenly attempted to kiss her. The employee claims to have faced harassment from others in the workplace as well. Sexual harassment is not the only type of harassment that was reported at the Plaza. A Jewish male employee claims that he found a noose in his locker. When he reported the incident to hotel management, hotel security blocked police involvement regarding the incident.
Rape Culture in the Workplace
The lawsuit alleges that rape culture was harbored at The Plaza Hotel, which is a serious allegation and one that can be difficult to define. In the lawsuit, the claimants stated that the hotel’s rape culture was comprised of male employees bragging about sexual conquests, making explicit sexual advances and statements to female employees, and management’s acceptance of the behavior by failing to act or hold the alleged offenders accountable for their actions. The term rape culture refers to any environment where sexual abuse is normalized or trivialized. Jokes about sexual assault, blaming victims for their attacks, and failing to hold offenders accountable for their actions are all components of rape culture.
Philadelphia Sexual Harassment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Help Victims Seek Justice and Compensation for their Damages
Sexual harassment in the workplace is never acceptable, regardless of the type of environment where it occurs, or the relationship between the alleged victim and offender. If you have faced sexual harassment in your workplace, consider working with our team of experienced Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. to pursue justice and compensation for your financial damages. Fill out our online form or call 215-569-1999 to schedule your initial consultation in our office. We are centrally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and we work with clients throughout the state.
