A Fresno jury has awarded $1.7 million to Janet Orlando, who charged that she
was the victim of sexual harassment and battery after she was spanked with a
yard sign on three separate occasions in front of her jeering co-workers at
Alarm One Inc., a home security company.
The spankings were part of motivational practices at Alarm One’s Fresno
office, where Orlando worked. The motivational tactics included having sales
teams compete, with the winners poking fun at the losers, including by throwing
pies at the losers, feeding them baby food, making them wear diapers, and
swatting their buttocks with a competitor’s yard sign. During the spankings, the
sales force allegedly hooted and heckled with “Bend over, baby” and “You’ve been
a bad girl.”
The company claimed that Orlando was a willing participant in the
motivational meetings, and that she never complained about being spanked. It
also contended that Orlando abruptly quit her job because she was upset about
being passed over for promotion, and not because of the spankings.
The jury’s verdict included $500,000 in compensatory damages and another $1.2
million in punitive damages. Alarm One’s lawyer said the verdict is
excessive.
Additional Resources:
The
Step-By-Step Sexual Harassment Prevention Guide for California Employers, a
California Employer Advisor Special Report