Former worker sues Safeway, says it did not stop customer's sexual harassment
A former deli counter worker at the Safeway Inc. supermarket chain is suing the company over a customer’s alleged behavior toward her last year.
Daphne Lannan says those in charge of the Safeway at which she worked in Lebanon, Oregon, did not prevent a customer from continuing to sexually harass her after she complained to management, the Oregonian reports.
Her Multnomah County Circuit Court suit (PDF) was filed last week and asserts causes of action for gender discrimination and sexual harassment. It seeks $67,000 in alleged damages, contending that the customer’s conduct forced Lannan to quit her job.
The suit says the customer made comments to Lannan about her body and what he would like to do to her as she was making his sandwiches.
In response to her pleas to store management for help, it says, “one supervisor responded … by telling plaintiff that Safeway could not do anything about the sexual harassment unless a manager personally witnessed the customer sexually harassing plaintiff.”
A Safeway spokeswoman declined the newspaper’s request for comment, due to the pending litigation.
