An attorney for a former employee who claims he harassed her says the woman was in a “very vulnerable position” and she had no choice but to file a sexual harassment claim against the employee.
The woman says she was working for a law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area in late 2015 when her then-boss, who is still with the firm, made inappropriate comments to her about her appearance, weight and body shape.
She said she immediately confronted her boss and he retaliated by calling her a “bitch,” telling her he would “destroy her” and then threatening to file false allegations.
In an interview with Fox News, the attorney, Laura Ritchie, said she’s confident the woman will win the case against her former boss, who has since left the firm.
She also said she was in no way retaliated against for filing the case, which was a civil matter, not a criminal one.
Ritchie said her client was not afraid to take legal action because she had a very difficult time trusting others and was not comfortable with the company’s culture.
She had no idea her employer would make such a statement, Ritchie said, and was shocked when the woman, now an attorney, made her claim to HR.
Ritz, who says she’s representing the woman in a defamation lawsuit against the firm and her former colleague, says she has been told the woman is seeking a total of $2 million.