In 2010, plaintiff Geralyn Ganci alleged, in a federal court complaint against U.S. Limousine Service Ltd. and Raymond Townsend, that she was subjected to hostile work environment and quid pro quo sexual harassment (including in person and by phone calls/text messages) by her boss Raymond Townsend and fired for rejecting his advances.
Among the “vile and disgusting” messages are those stating that if she rejected Townsend’s sexual advances her job would be in jeopardy, transmitting a photograph of his “lap”, stating that plaintiff should come to his home and have sex with him because his wife was away, stating that he was obsessed with plaintiff’s breasts and that she should sleep with him, and stating that while he was driving home he had to pull his car to the side of the road and masturbate while thinking about her.
She also alleges that the sexual harassment culminated in an incident in which Townsend “grabbed Plaintiff and forced Plaintiff in to the bathroom, putting his hand under Plaintiff’s shirt and lifted up Plaintiff’s shirt to kiss Plaintiff’s breast”, and that Townsend fired her the next day.
Following a September 16, 2014 jury verdict in her favor, Eastern District Judge Joseph F. Bianco has entered a judgment awarding her compensatory damages of $450,000, punitive damages of $100,000, attorney fees of more than $160,000, and costs.