A Berrien County woman who was a manager of a Hooters restaurant is suing the chain for sexual harassment.
According to court documents, the woman was a manager at a Hooters in Portage, Indiana from January 2022 until October 12, 2022. During that time, she claims she experienced sexual harassment from a male dishwasher, including sexual comments, touching and grabbing her butt.
The woman complained multiple times to the general manager. However, she says her complaints were ignored and nothing was done to stop the harassment.
The woman then complained to Hooters’ human resources department. An investigation was performed, and the general manager was disciplined for not doing anything to end the harassment.
After she filed the complaints, the woman was transferred to work at another Hooters restaurant, which was located in Merrillville, Indiana. Her transfer was involuntary, and the new location was significantly further from her home.
Shortly after being transferred, the woman was fired from the restaurant chain. She alleges that she was fired for reasons that are false, and were a pretext meant to cover up the reason for her termination. She also says that she suffered damages because of retaliation from the restaurant, including lost wages and benefits, along with emotional distress.
According to the court document, the woman is asking for a trial by jury on all issues that are triable. She is also asking for a judgment in her favor, in an amount that will compensate her for damages, losses, expenses, back wages, emotional distress, attorney’s fees, litigation costs and interest. She also requests that the court grant her any additional relief that it determines to be appropriate and just under the circumstances.
