Lawsuit Filed Against Los Angeles' Collectors Editions for Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Rape
Former Employee Alleges that She was Sexually Harassed, Assaulted and Raped Because Fine Art Publisher Failed to Take Action to Protect Her from Male Employees
Today, a former employee of Collectors Editions, Inc., – a publisher of fine
works of art, including artwork featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other
Disney characters – filed sexual assault, sexual battery and sexual harassment
claims against the company and two individuals, Oscar Chavez and Steve Todd. The
woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges that she was raped twice by defendant
Chavez. The case was assigned Case Number - LASC No. BC334506.
According
to Ms. Doe’s allegations, the company fostered and tolerated a work environment
in which she and other female employees were subjected to open and egregious
acts of sexual harassment by Mr. Chavez and Mr. Todd. The complaint alleges that
both men made offensive sexual comments and innuendoes, and that defendant
Chavez grabbed and groped Ms. Doe’s breasts, buttocks, legs and genitalia.
The complaint alleges that although Ms. Doe complained to company
management, no action was taken.
Emboldened by the company’s abject
failure to take any action to protect the female employees, the individual
defendants, according to the allegations, escalated the gravity of their
conduct. Ms. Doe alleges that this culminated in the rapes by Mr. Chavez. The
complaint also alleges that Chavez harassed and forcibly engaged in sexual
intercourse with other female employees against their will and without their
consent.
Collectors Editions, Inc. is located in Conoga Park. Its CEO is
the former director of Disney Arts Classics at The Walt Disney
Company.
According to Ms. Doe’s attorney, Andrew H. Friedman of Helmer
& Friedman, LLP: “The allegations made by our client illustrate the
well-known pattern that occurs when a company ignores a sexually hostile work
environment. If the company doesn’t do anything, the conduct is naturally going
to escalate and, unfortunately, something like this usually
happens.”
For additional information or a PDF copy of
Ms. Doe's Complaint, contact:
Andrew H. Friedman (e-mail protected from
spam bots)or
Gregory D. Helmer (e-mail protected from spam bots)
For additional information about Helmer • Friedman,
LLP, contact:(310) 396-7714 or
(www.helmerfriedman.com)
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb248568.htm