DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five former servers for Ker's WingHouse in Daytona Beach claim management watched them changing their clothes for work through a peephole in a lawsuit filed in Volusia County court.
The lawsuit also alleges managers at the company's International Speedway location and Atlantic Ave. location sexually harassed the servers and other females dating as far back as 2003 without anything being done about it.
"There was touching, there was inappropriate comments and there was a peep hole," said attorney Kelly Chanfrau, who is representing all five women. "There were women lined up and checked as to what kind of brassiere they were wearing."
Allegations against the company include managers fondling the female servers' breasts and buttocks, expressing their desire to have sex with them and detailing their own sexual encounters to them.
"It's almost as if the managers were trying to control the women by sexually harassing them," Chantrau said.
The servers allege manager Tony Cortez also battered and abused some of his servers.
In one instance, the lawsuit claims Cortez physically restrained one of the female servers, dragged her through the hallway and out to the street, where he held her head down on the pavement and pulled her hair.
He's also accused of throwing heavy pieces of ice at the servers, resulting in pain and bruising.
A spokeswoman for Ker's WingHouse denies all of the allegations presented in the lawsuit, explaining the company has a "zero tolerance" policy when it comes to sexual harassment.
"We have no record of them complaining to anyone in the company," said spokeswoman Melanie Rattanachane.
She says Ker's WingHouse uses a third party company to handle any complaints regarding sexual harassment or fear, and there is no record the servers made any contact with them, either.
