Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

A fourth woman has come forward to allege sexual harassment and retaliation by the 70-year-old owner of the Mencarini Winery and Abundance Vineyards, saying he pulled his pants down in front of her, grabbed her between the legs and repeatedly attempted to persuade her to have sex with him.

Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers know far too many work places remain rife with gender-based harassment. This may be particularly true in non-traditional employment settings. There is something about not being in an office that prompts harassers to relax their ethical and moral boundaries. They're wrong.

In this case, it was a winery. But similar complaints have been made in bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. Sometimes, it may be difficult to understand why victims stay as long as they do. The reason usually comes down to fear. Fear of losing a job you need, fear of being humiliated or fear that you won't be believed.

The fact that there are multiple complainants in this situation bolsters each of the women's cases by establishing a pattern of harassment and the creation of a hostile work environment and subsequent retaliatory action.

The first complaint was filed back in December, and it was actually on behalf of two of the workers at the vineyard.

The first alleged that she worked there for a total of one month. Her boss reportedly told her on her first day that she was pretty and grabbed her crotch. When she pushed him away, he told her no one could see them. On the second day, he reportedly came up from behind her, grabbed her hips and pressed himself against her. Other instances included the owner's demand that she allow him to "hump" her if she wanted to keep her job.

She eventually quit.

The second employee in that complaint worked there around the same time. She reportedly was also hired as an travel sales assistance. On one of those trips, they reportedly stayed at his two-room condo several hours from the vineyard. In the middle of the night, she alleged that the owner came in and attempted to sexually assault her.

After enduring several weeks of continued harassment, she complained to management, and was fired.

The third employee to file a complaint was a 25-year-old woman. The first time she met her new boss, her complaint alleges, he remarked on her breasts and asked her if they were implants. She reportedly ignored this remark because she said she needed the job.

During the interview process, owner reportedly continued to ask questions that were both inappropriate and not related to the job position.

She was eventually hired as an assistant and sales travel assistant.

While the owner was training her, she reported he drank heavily throughout the day, and then began to ask her extremely inappropriate questions about her showering habits. He then reportedly forced her into a tight embrace.

As her employment dragged on, he reportedly continued with this wildly inappropriate behavior, telling her he had feelings for her, offering benefits in exchange for sex, telling her about his sex life with his girlfriend, who had had a stroke, and texting her inappropriate messages. He would corner her in dark rooms and say things that were sexual and threatening.

When she made a comment of feeling uncomfortable to a manager, the manager reportedly asked her to submit her resignation and forward the text messages the owner had sent her.

The fourth woman to file a complaint did so just last month.

Each of the women are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.