Ex-Bodyguard filed a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit against Elton John
Over the years several incidents involving unwelcomed touching has led Jeffrey Wenninger, ex-bodyguard of Elton John, to file a sexual harassment lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the famous musician. Allegations of sexual harassment and sexual battery are included in the sexual harassment lawsuit.
In 2002, Jeffrey Wenninger commenced his employment as one of the “off-duty security guards” for the great Elton John. In addition to his employment with Elton John, Jeffrey Wenninger was an active sergeant of the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the lawsuit, the unwelcomed physical contact escalated incessantly following the year of 2010. The lawsuit highlights three occurrences that allegedly took place in March 2014 during arrival to or departure from an airport.
The lawsuit claims, during the car ride, Elton placed his hands in Jeffrey Wenninger’s trousers. Wenninger explained that Elton John “attempted to grab his genitals and put his fingers between Wenninger’s butt cheeks.” Following that attempt, Elton allegedly told Jeffrey Wenninger “get your todger out” and “say hello to Uncle Elton.” It appears that Jeffrey Wenninger took a direct physical and verbal approach of opposition towards Elton John’s “unwanted advances,” however, the lawsuit states that the resistance “had no permanent effect” on Elton John’s alleged misbehavior.
Wenninger acknowledges that numerous unrevealed incidents occurred during his employment as well. As of September 2014, Wenninger’s employment with Elton John ended. According to a recent Billboard article, the employer who hired Jeffrey Wenninger through a private company to work for Elton John erroneously removed him from his position. Based on the lawsuit, Wenninger was unaware of his termination until after his request to continue working with Elton John. Wenninger’s attorney, Marla A. Brown, refrained from commenting on her client’s initial decision to continue to work after the incidents. The employer is arguing that Wenninger was terminated for “reporting a fellow officer’s overtime theft.”
The relationship between Wenninger’s termination and his pending lawsuit has yet to be determined. As the pending lawsuit moves forward, more information may be disclosed. Wenninger is allegedly suing his employer for unfair retaliation in addition to the lawsuit against Elton John.
As of present-day Jeffrey Wenninger is requesting “unspecified damages” for medical expenses, lost wages, and “physical, mental, and emotional injuries.” This setback does not define the final destination for Jeffrey Wenninger, and it could never annihilate his commendable performance by assisting a group of officers “evacuate 80 senior citizens from a burning retirement home,” or the “LAPD’s medal of valor” he received in 1996.
Elton John’s Attorney Responds to Jeffrey Wenninger’s Allegations.
Elton John’s attorney, Orin Snyder, released a statement indicating that Jeffrey Wenninger is “a disgruntled security officer seeking to extract an undeserved payment.” Snyder also said “these claims are patently untrue and contradicted by numerous previous statements made by this plaintiff.” Elton John’s attorney continued to clarify the point that they have no interest in aiding Jeffrey Wenninger’s alleged “abuse of the legal system.” Snyder concludes that these allegations are “baseless.”
Have You Ever Been a Male Victim of Sexual Harassment?
Regardless of your answer is, unfortunately, yes or thankfully no, here is something you should know. It’s extremely common to hear of a woman experiencing a sexual harassment incident. The majority of the cases that reach the EEOC are on behalf of female victims. Although men aren’t filing as many lawsuits as women, that doesn’t excuse the issues with sexual harassment they’re facing in the workplace. An EEOC regional attorney from the Birmingham, Alabama district office stated that, “Some employers may view male-on-male harassment as ‘horseplay’ or ‘boys being boys’ but this kind of intentional discrimination can cause needless suffering and permanent scars for employees ¬¬– not to mention creating liability issues for employers who violate the federal law.” This statement was released in response to a complaint about a manager who made “sexually offensive comments and unwanted physical contact” to a few male employees who were truck drivers. This case resulted in a $225,000 payout to the three gentlemen. This scenario might be a little different from Wenninger and John’s case, but the concept of male-to-male sexual harassment and the damages are equivalent. Out of 6,822 receipts filed in the last fiscal year 2015, only 17.1% of males filed charges with the EEOC.
If you are a male employee suffering from sexual harassment in need of some free confidential advisement for your case contact our New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC. These individuals are knowledgeable about your case and sensitive to your concerns. Instead of silencing your frustration and internal damage consider seeking our legal advice to ascertain some inner peace and cope with the inevitable aftermath of surviving sexual harassment in the workplace. Call us at 800-807-2209 for a free consultation.
