as You Work
Legal Issues in the Workplace
The two men, Paul “PJ” Cagnina and Scott Peterson charge that they were repeatedly sexually harassed by their boss, Rick Leukert, during their years of employment at Hooters in Los Angeles and Orange Counties and they are suing both the boss and the restaurant. Both Cagnina and Peterson claim that retaliation followed their complaints about harassment and Peterson reports being fired as a result. It is not clear whether Cagnina is still employed by the company.
The claims of sexual harassment are many and varied, allegedly taking place over a number of years. The harassment charges include the following:
The lawsuit was filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and a court order directing Hooters to stop allowing sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace. Neither the plaintiffs’ attorney nor a Hooters’ spokesperson would comment on the pending litigation.
If you are experiencing sexual or any other type of harassment at the workplace, or if you have been retaliated against for complaining about such harassment, you should contact an experienced employment attorney to explore your legal options.