from www.trentonian.com – A sex toys saleswoman is suing her bosses at Hightstown’s Pleasure Productions for firing her after she complained about alleged sexual harassment on the job from a co-worker.
In court papers, Doreen Longo accused East Coast News and its affiliates, Pleasure Productions and International Video Distributors, of doing nothing when she complained about Marc Kercheval.
From the time she began work there in March 2002 until her termination on April 12, 2006, Longo alleges that Kercheval repeatedly threatened her with violence, made sexually explicit remarks, and harassed and sexually harassed her in other ways.
Beginning in Jan. 2006, Longo sent multiple e-mails to her immediate boss complaining about the co-worker’s inappropriate behavior and requesting he intercede on her behalf. But Longo said she was ignored.
After the complaint, Longo contends the owner of East Coast News, Frank Koretsky, reprimanded her in a disciplinary report for poor sales and derogatory remarks against the company.
At some point during this process, Kercheval’s employment with ECN was terminated, though the company denies it was related to Longo’s complaints.
East Coast News, which also has outlets in California and Florida, wholesales sex toys and adult novelties to retail stores and Internet sites, primarily out of its Hightstown location.
Longo stated that the harassment continued into public places after her dismissal from the company in an attempt to intimidate her and disrupt her future business dealings. Koretsky and company also denied those allegations.
In addition to the complaints of harassment, sexual and otherwise, Longo is suing the management of ECN for not remedying a hostile workplace, retaliatory disciplinary action for submitting a complaint and unwarranted termination.
Longo is suing for compensatory damages from her alleged unjust termination and damages for emotional discomfort and humiliation, among others. She is also asking that the court require ECN to implement an effective anti-harassment policy to prevent this kind of behavior from reoccurring.
Koretsky and his partner have had previous run-ins with the law over their adult bookstore, The Love Shack in Burlington. Koretsky, who owned the building, and the partner were both charged with maintaining a nuisance in 2007, according to the Burlington County Times.
Undercover police officers caught five men performing lewd acts in the video viewing booths of the business. A lawyer representing The Love Shack told the Burlington County Times that the owners had no knowledge of these illicit activities and subsequently removed the doors to the viewing booths to prevent further violations.
As a result of this investigation, the Burlington City Council revoked the permit that allowed The Love Shack to maintain the coin-operated private viewing booths.
Doreen Longo’s suit against ECN is currently ongoing and being heard before Judge Douglas Hurd in Mercer County Civil Court.