Trial Date Set in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against West Virginia Toyota Plant

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Mar 08, 2023, 08:13 ET

Lawsuit brought by Bailess Law Firm alleges female employee feared for her safety due to hostile work environment and retaliation

BUFFALO, W.Va., March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A civil lawsuit is moving forward against Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc., four plant supervisors, Peoplelink, LLC, and Global SQ, LLC, accused of fostering a work environment with pervasive sexual harassment against a female employee. The suit also claims the worker was retaliated against after reporting the sexual harassment. A trial date is set in Putnam County for Feb. 26, 2024.

Hailey Donahue was working the high voltage line at the Toyota plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, when she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment. Her complaints about the inappropriate behavior were "laughed off" by supervisors, according to the lawsuit, which also alleges that Donahue experienced repeated unwanted touching, lewd comments, and stalking by one Toyota team leader. Evading his advances when he pressed her up against a machine resulted in her ripping the back of her pants. The suit claims management responded to her report by simply offering her duct tape to fix her pants so she could continue her shift. The suit continues that on a separate occasion, the same man grabbed Donahue in such a forceful manner, he broke the clasp of her bra.

Another supervisor, Donahue claims in the lawsuit, made unwanted salacious comments and even propositioned her to engage in a threesome with his wife, to which she refused.

Donahue feared for her safety after multiple reports to management fell on deaf ears, including her requests to be transferred away from the aggressive team leader, claims the suit.

"Appalling is the only way to describe what Ms. Donahue experienced," says Todd Bailess of Bailess Law Firm who represents Donahue in this suit. "Women should feel safe in the workplace without fear of being sexually harassed."

After reporting the sexual harassment to Toyota's human resources department, Donahue claims in the lawsuit that a male supervisor violated safety directives from the company by refusing to walk Donahue to her car at the end of her shift. The suit states he also let others know about her complaints to HR. According to the filing, Donahue interpreted the blatant disregard of her complaints and safety protocols as retaliation, forcing her to quit her job.

The case is Hailey B. Donahue v. Peoplelink, LLC, Global SQ, LLC, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc., Yuri Hager, Paul Anderson, Tommy Cathell, and Gary Allen, Cause No. CC-40-2022-C-15 in Putnam County, West Virginia.

About Bailess Law Firm

The attorneys at Bailess Law Firm have zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace. The West Virginia-based law firm takes pride in helping restore dignity and bring hope to workers who have been subjected to unlawful employment practices.

SOURCE Bailess Law Firm