Inside the Maggie McFly's Lawsuit: Fired Servers Claim Boss Joked About Raping Them
Connecticut restaurant Maggie McFly's has been served with a lawsuit that alleges a former manager made lewd comments, acted inappropriately and forcibly touched two female workers.
October 04, 2019 at 02:48 PM
3 minute read
Two fired servers for the Manchester Maggie McFly's have filed a graphic lawsuit in Hartford Superior Court, claiming their former manager made constant sexual comments and touched them inappropriately.
In the 17-page lawsuit filed Thursday, Gianna Aconfora and Maizzy Douchette accuse former manager Daniel Therian of constant sexual harassment.
Reached Friday, Therian declined to comment on the case.
The lawsuit says Therian, who now works for another Manchester restaurant, used graphic language to discuss his own and their sexual relationships. It alleges he made obscene comments about their bodies, inappropriately touched them, and joked about raping the women. It claims Therian also once resorted to violence, "slapping Ms. Aconfora across the face, and squeezing Ms. Douchette around the throat."
The lawsuit alleges Therian "created a working environment that was lewd, demeaning, and threatening." It claims he told Aconfora, "You look so sexy, I can't stop staring at you. Let me see your b—–s. I see them popping out of your shirt."
And with regard to Douchette, Therian is accused of making mocking comments toward her when he realized she was dating a black server. "You could have had a Luke Skywalker, but instead you chose Darth Vader," he allegedly said, according to the complaint.
The suit says Therian also did such things as repeatedly rubbing Douchette's backside with a banana, and telling Aconfora that, since she was 21 years old, "You're old enough that I can sexually harass you."
"This is the sort of grievous harassment that I imagine many members of the public don't see, or believe does not exist anymore," the women's attorney, Joshua Goodbaum, told the Connecticut Law Tribune Friday. "But it does."
The restaurant denied any wrongdoing.
"Maggie McFly's is a locally owned, community-oriented family restaurant with deep roots in the state of Connecticut," its attorney, Jackson Lewis principal Sarah Skubas, said in a statement. "The company, which is proud of its relationship with its over 500 Connecticut employees, vehemently denies the factual allegations of Ms. Aconfora and Ms. Douchette."
But the women's lawyer claim the company gave bogus reasons for firing his clients.
In the case of Aconfora, Goodbaum said the restaurant accused her of misrepresenting her availability to work July 4.
And with regard to Douchette, Goodbaum claimed, "The company fired her, they said, because there was an extra sandwich made by a line cook, which he gave to her. She shared it with her fellow servers which, they said, was a violation of company policy."
The lawsuit seeks noneconomic damages, punitive damages and attorney fees. It has 12 counts, six on behalf of Aconfora and six for Douchette. The women allege sexual harassment in violation of the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, retaliation in violation of the CFEPA, negligent supervision as to Maggie McFly's, assault as to Therian, battery as to Therian, and intentional infliction of emotional distress as to Therian.
Goodbaum said he's been in communication with defense counsel Skubas.
Assisting Goodbaum is Elisabeth Lee, his colleague at Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti.
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