I heard about this on NPR on the way home from work today: "Pantsless CEO Faces Harassment Charges." American Apparel CEO Dov Charney was sued for sexual harassment by a former employee because he walked around in his underwear and sometimes even wore...erm..."garments" that barely covered his genitalia. This appears to be admitted by him.
Also apparently admitted by him is the use of "salty" language around the office. "You talk to any man who works in entertainment or fashion, and if he tells you he has not used the word 'slut'...I think he's lying."
Now, dear readers, normally at this time, I would tell a client to get out the checkbook and leave a blank with a lot of zeros at the end. But strangely enough, the matter hasn't been buried in a quickie settlement with a hefty confidentiality clause.
Get this: the CEO claims it was all part of his job. He claims that, at 5'10'' and 155 lbs, he is a perfect model, and he was only testing out their underwear. He is, after all, very proud of his...umm...product.
And American Apparel is widely known for its sexually charged ads. Shouldn't someone working there expect to be exposed to people, well, exposing themselves?
At last report I found, the matter is headed to arbitration, which means it will be decided by an independent judge, not a public jury trial.
Don't let this case embolden all of you out there who have been secretly wishing you could disrobe at the office. With a few exceptions (strip clubs, the Playboy Mansion, porn set, you get the idea), clothing is not optional at most workplaces. Plus, very few of us (including the CEO in this case) are good-looking enough to get away with it.
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