Cheesecake Factory workers detail harassment claims

[Talus]

Cheesecake Factory workers detail harassment claims

by Luci Scott
Dec. 1, 2008
The Arizona Republic

Bryce Fitzpatrick was working at the Cheesecake Factory at Chandler Fashion Center when he was promoted from server to food expeditor, a step toward management. One day, while he was inside the produce walk-in to hunt down watercress, the door suddenly swung open.

"About 10-plus cooks and dishwashers shut the lights out," Fitzpatrick recalls. "A guy grabbed me from behind and made me put my butt on top of his genitals."

One cook grabbed Fitzpatrick's right leg and held it up in the air. Another held his left leg. Two other men grabbed Fitzpatrick's arms.

"A cook would stand in the middle and rub his genitals into my genitals," Fitzpatrick said.

During his tenure at the restaurant, he suffered the attacks more than 20 times, he said. In interviews with The Arizona Republic, two other former employees of the restaurant chain described being similarly grabbed and held down by co-workers while men simulated sex with them.

A fourth worker, a manager, told The Republic of seeing firsthand one of the attacks and threatening to fire the offending workers.

Now lawyers are involved.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit in July against the Cheesecake Factory alleging sexual harassment, a violation of federal law.

After Cheesecake Factory answers the lawsuit in court, depositions will begin. A trial could be two to three years away, said Katherine Kruse, an EEOC attorney. Much civil litigation settles before it goes to trial, she noted.

In a statement, the Cheesecake Factory said it is inappropriate to discuss matters in litigation and, to preserve workers' privacy, the company does not discuss individual employees.

"However, we take all employee harassment claims seriously," the company said.

It said employees with concerns or complaints have several options, including calling an anonymous hotline. Fitzpatrick said he was not aware of the hotline.

The former workers say they felt humiliated and intimidated by the "assaults;" one of them, Michael Wilson, equated the experience to "dry raping."

"Bryce (Fitzpatrick) referred to it as simulating rape. I refer to it as sexual assault," said Phoenix lawyer Jonathan Dessaules, whom Fitzpatrick sought out after an October 2006 incident.

Fitzpatrick also filed a report with Chandler police in fall 2006, but no charges were pursued in part because, the detective in the case noted, the allegations could not be corroborated to "rise to the level of a criminal sexual offense."

Employees whom police interviewed described the incidents as "dogpile, initiation, joke, kitchen games, hazing, manhandling, horseplay and normal joking activity among Hispanic cooks."

Hazing of a sexual nature is not uncommon. Dr. Susan Lipkins, a psychologist from Long Island, N.Y., and an expert in conflict and violence, describes "sexualized hazing," including sodomy, as a national phenomenon. But it's more commonly found among high school and college athletics or in fraternal organizations such as the military or law enforcement.

Click link for the rest of the article.

Did a search and didn't see anything about this. All I can say is... 20 times?? He must have liked it!!

[thestalkmore]

Waiting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

[Ramzii]

That is quite homosexual.

[tyven]

who the F wants to haze someone like that

[Devolver]

I can just see a group of guys get together and say something along the lines of "Hey guys, it would be TOTALLY be hilarious if we rubbed our nutsacks all over that guy!" "YEAH" "YOU BETCHA"

"Isnt that kinda.......gay?"

"......."

*assaults him first*

[Elesirdur]

Well that is a pretty extreme case, but in just about every kitchen you will easily find all sorts of sexual harassment behaviour that would be grounds for instant termination in any other setting (office, factory, retail, etc.)

The homoeroticism is palpable in these kinds of work places; a weird mix of machismo and juvenile behaviour.

[Kiro]

As long as it stays off the cheesecake.

[Jinchi]

I've been to that one before. Suxs

[Yangsing]

hot

[Headspace]

I want some fucking cheesecake now.

[Correction]

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8479/bgjxr7.jpg

You see, by putting his balls in my mouth it makes him gay!

[Rhinox]

lol

[Sanoske]

What I'm wondering is this...

Why the fuck would you stay to the point where you've been attacked 20 times!?!

I would've either quit, or more than likely been fired for punching someone. 10+ Hispanic cooks? Well, I'd probably have no choice the first time since it would either be nutsacks or being shanked and raped... but the second I got outside of that cooler, it would've been on.

[Mizango]

He probably liked it? I know, if I were to get forcefully sodomized I would morph into the fucking Punisher right there on the spot.



Dark room, surrounded by cock, he sounds suspiciously like a Vince Young fan.


Edit: lol @ dry raping.

[Rhinox]

He probably liked it? I know, if I were to get forcefully sodomized I would morph into the fucking Punisher right there on the spot.



Dark room, surrounded by cock, he sounds suspiciously like a Vince Young fan.


Edit: lol @ dry raping.

ahahahaha

[Thistle]

That is quite homosexual.

You say that like it's a bad thing!

[Pikarya]

The fuck.

[Lordwafik]

I'm surprised Kuya hasn't indulged in this topic yet.

Anyway that's beyond pathetic that the man stayed there for over 20 attacks. If something you don't want happens to you, get out of the situation, especially in one like that.

The dude is probably suing them because they stopped and he craves it now.

[Kaylia]

During his tenure at the restaurant, he suffered the attacks more than 20 times

20 times!? Why did he even go back after the first time.

Or he meant 20 times in a row?

[recuperi]

sounds like the dude was willing to do anything just for the possibility of moving up to management level