Blue Moon Hotel sued by former employee who says firing was tied to complaints about sexual harassment

A former desk clerk for the Blue Moon Hotel in Philadelphia has filed a

wrongful termination complaint in state court against the place of lodging.

Nadine Robinson, who resides in Philadelphia, filed suit on Sept. 25 at Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court over claims that she was unlawfully terminated from the hotel after about three-and-a-half years of employment over complaints she made about being sexually harassed by a coworker.

Robinson, 47, says she was fired from her job at the Blue Moon Hotel in late September 2011 after registering complaints about pervasive sexual harassment at the hands of one of the male housekeepers who worked for the defendant.

The plaintiff, who began working at the hotel in the spring of 2007, claimed the man had made sexually offensive remarks relating to parts of Robinson’s body.

The male employee also expressed his desire to have sexual relations with the woman, the lawsuit states, and he even once grabbed her buttocks.

The man continued his overtures even after being asked to cease and desist by the plaintiff, the lawsuit states, leaving Robinson no choice but to complain to management.

Robinson finally contacted Philadelphia police in mid-September 2011 to report the incident of sexual assault, and she soon took a two-week leave of absence in order to avoid being subjected to further acts of harassment and sexual assault, the complaint states.

On Sept. 21 of that year, the plaintiff contacted the hotel’s owner and supervisor, identified as Reina Williams, to complain about the defendant’s failure to take corrective action.

Robinson specifically complained about the hotel’s decision to allow the male housekeeper who harassed her to continue to report to work intoxicated, “thereby placing Plaintiff Robinson in jeopardy of further sexual assault,” the suit reads.

Robinson also informed Williams that she had to seek out mental health counseling due to the emotional distress caused by the harassment.

Williams then “berated” Robinson about the woman’s complaints, the complaint states, and the owner further suggested that Robinson was to blame for the treatment because the plaintiff was “too friendly.”

Williams also reportedly told Robinson that registering a complaint of sexual harassment would reflect poorly on the hotel, the suit states.

Robinson was soon fired from her job, with Williams telling the woman that her termination was a direct result of “putting the hotel out there” by filing a report with the police department.

The complaint accuses the defendant of violating the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

It says Blue Moon Hotel subjected Robinson to a hostile work environment through “severe and/or pervasive sexual harassment” and in retaliating against Robinson for making her complaints about the improper treatment.

Robinson seeks more than $100,000 in compensatory damages in addition to costs and attorney’s fees.

The plaintiff is being represented by Philadelphia attorney Sidney L. Gold.

 

The case ID number is 130903004.