Gucci $10M Sexual Harassment Suit
Chicago, IL – The Ex-Gucci sales associate at the Gucci flagship in downtown Chicago took her allegations to the EEOC claiming that a manager at the luxury fashion house sexually harassed her.
On September 29, 2017, Chanel Falasco, the plaintiff in the case, explained in an Illinois federal court for hostile work environment caused by sexual harassment, quid pro quo sexual harassment, and negligent supervision on the part of Gucci. She is asking for unspecified damages in excess of $10 million.
Ms. Falasco’s harasser was an assistant store manager identified as “Byrne” who frequently made “flirtatious overtures and sexually suggestive comments” to her. Such comments included explicit remarks about her physical appearance, leading to Byrne regularly referring to Ms. Falasco as, “Booty,” even on the sales floor and in the presence of other managerial staff. Such unwelcomed sexual conduct went on for nearly two-and-a-half years working
The former Gucci sales associate is suing the Gucci luxury house for $10 million. In her federal complaint, she claims a Gucci store manager’s sexual harassment escalated to the point of him exposing his penis.
Yet, Gucci’s executives and other supervisors took a blind eye to the ongoing discrimination. Ms. Falasco claims there was no Gucci human resources department to turn to at the Chicago store and when she asked Gucci’s operations coordinator for corporate HR contact information, she was “balked” at, according to her complaint.
Likewise, the plaintiff stated that she went to a supervisor and complained of Byrne’s unlawful conduct on at least twice, but she was simply told to, “ignore it,” “brush him off,” and to “avoid working with him.”
In response to the allegations filed against it, a Gucci spokesman stated, “As a company policy we do not comment publicly on personnel-related matters.”
Additionally, Ms. Falasco claims when it came time for her annual performance review, Byrne allegedly told Ms. Falasco in private that her review would have been better if she would have she gone along with his sexual proposition.
Eventually, Ms. Falasco could no longer take her hostile work environment. She resigned her at Gucci in February 2016 and went on to file her gender discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in March 2016.
Afterwards, the EEOC subsequently launched an investigation and determined that there is “cause to believe” Ms. Falasco was discriminated against because she is a woman. As any attempts of settling the case.
Falasco brings her claims in Federal Court. Gucci’s conduct and the conduct of Byrne is classic sexual harassment in violation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, Gucci and Byrne may be liable for quid pro quo sexual harassment.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment is a theory of sexual harassment that is actionable under Title VII’s anti-gender discrimination provision. Under Title VII an employer is liable for sexual harassment when a supervisor or manager predicates job benefits, such as a promotion, or increased screen time, on whether the employee acquiesces to the supervisor or manager’s request for sexual favors. A company will be held liable if an employee reports the behavior and the employer is negligent in their investigation.
Further, Gucci and Byrne may be also liable under city and State laws, which are similar to federal discrimination laws.
If you feel you have suffered sexual harassment or subject to unlawful discrimination on the job contact one of our Philadelphia sexual harassment attorneys at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC today for a free consultation. Our attorneys have years of experience litigating claims of gender discrimination. Working together with our New York City sexual harassment attorneys, we have recovered millions on behalf of our clients who were discriminated against because of their gender. If you feel you have been discriminated against because of your gender, please give our attorneys a call at (800) 807-2209 for a free consultation.
Call today to schedule a FREE sexual harassment or employment discrimination legal Consultation in NY, NJ & PA with one of our top rated employment law or sexual harassment attorneys here at the Derek Smith Law Group. You can reach us online or by calling . Our New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia labor & employment law attorneys handle a variety of cases involving sexual harassment, racial discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and other employment-related claims. We serve clients throughout New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We also have offices in New Jersey and Philadelphia to serve you.
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