American Apparel founder Dov Charney faces sexual harassment suit

[Recursion]

Source: The Guardian

Dov Charney built a fashion empire around hipster chic and a louche lifestyle that embraced pornography and lascivious advertising. Now the founder and chief executive of American Apparel sees both his life and his work crumbling around him in the form of a devastating sexual harassment suit by a former employee.

The legal action launched by Irene Morales, a former manager of one of American Apparel's branches in New York City, alleges that Charney conducted a campaign of "extreme psychological abuse and torment" from the time she started working as a shop assistant at the age of 17 in 2007, while still a school student.

Morales says Charney began by making explicit advances and that shortly after her 18th birthday he invited her to his apartment in New York City.

"She was, to all intents and purposes, held prisoner in his apartment for several hours and forced to perform additional sex acts upon defendant Charney," Morales's lawyers claim in court documents.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/09/american-apparel-dov-charney-harassment

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I've hated this guy for a long time, so it's good to see the world catching on to what a creep he is. For extra asshole points, he's suing her for breaking her severance agreement.

[DJ13]

1. Creepy, in a perv from a B movie kind of way

[nalnn]

4. Haha

You're right about his appearance. Creepy!

I can't stand his stores. The fashion is pretentious and it smells that a cheap New Orleans cat house.

[firehorse]

2. I boycott shopping from this company years ago, seems every couple years he

accused and sued for this. They'll probably settle out of court.

I don't like their ads either. Yes, sex sells... but the ads are not a celibration of sexuality or advertising high art, in fact they are the antithesis in that they are sensationist, and devoid of empowerment. The girls in the ads look underage and the tone is of exploitation. It seems like he's going for a Larry Clark kind of aesthetic, but it falls way short.

[Tunkamerica]

3. just one suit?

[AngryAmish]

5. American Apparel CEO held teen as sex slave, says lawsuit

Source: Reuters via Chicago Tribune

American Apparel founder and chief executive Dov Charney is being sued for $250 million by a woman who said he treated her as a sex slave when she was a teenage sales employee at the clothing chain.

Irene Morales of Brooklyn, New York, has accused Charney, 42, of sexual harassment, creating a hostile workplace, gender discrimination and retaliation.

...

Morales said in the lawsuit that Charney then forced her to perform oral sex and other sexual acts over several hours, effectively holding her “prisoner” in his apartment.

She said that over the next eight months, she was forced to perform many more sex acts with Charney or else risk losing her job. Morales said she ultimately quit her $10.25-an-hour job and underwent extensive psychiatric treatment.

Read more: http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011/03/american-apparel-ceo-held-teen-as-sex-slave-says-lawsuit.html

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There was a famous Bitch article some yers ago where this guy masturbated in front of the reporter, repeatedly. He is also known to have sex with many employees.

My opinion - scumbag. Boycott!

[Brickbat]

6. I know some like to hold up American Apparel as a good "made in USA" company.

I've never bought into it, myself. He's done some union busting as well, IIRC.

[DissedByBush]

16. Don't be too quick to judge

He also pays his workers fairly well and gives them quite a bit of autonomy.

The company has also been the subject of unsubstantiated accusations in the past.

And for some reason one lawyer represents most of the lawsuits.

Smells a bit like a shakedown.

[greiner3]

17. I see you read half of the Wiki article;

The half you mention above. However, the 'unsubstantiated accusations' you mention were only found to be that because of a probable bribe to one of the accusers to the tune of a million+.

Boy, reading comprehension has gone down. Hopefully this generation has seen the bottom. If not, Wiki articles will reign supreme and Fox will win.

[DissedByBush]

18. Payoff is common

Even if a company is without guilt, a payoff is often less than the legal fees and damage to the reputation of a company that would be incurred by defending against the charges.

It's especially suspect with the same attorney being behind many of the suits.

No wonder "Made in the USA" is so rare these days with the shakedowns going on all the time.

[closeupready]

7. I ALWAYS found the TRULY "in your face" ads to be HIGHLY offensive.

Young women (barely) in T's and briefs spreading legs wide in front of the camera - I mean, ick. :puke: This is a 'mainstream' apparel manufacturer? :wtf:

[friendly_iconoclast]

12. The AA ads on the back of the Boston Phoenix are pretty skeevy n/t

[Blue_Tires]

19. +1

I'm far from a prude, but that ad style is way over-the-top...Makes Abercrombie's ads look like they are from the Mormon Church by comparison...

[Frustratedlady]

8. He looks like a real scuzzball. Gag! n/t

[DJ13]

10. He looks like he should be running this place, living with his mother

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Go forth and judge.

[LanternWaste]

15. Quite valid to do sometimes...

"Go forth and judge."
Quite valid to do sometimes...

"Charney admitted that he repeatedly referred to women as "sluts" and "cunts" in front of employees, in a deposition on another sexual harassment case, and denied that "slut" was a derogatory term..."

[riverwalker]

9. what a pig

his Wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Charney

[WatsonT]

13. In this economy?

Doesn't it make more sense to rent than own?

[1776Forever]

14. Oh and she was 17 at the time - Disgusting! That is why the Big Boys want Government out of their

business - in more then one way if you get my gist! How many women and men too have been "used" by someone to keep their messily jobs? You can bet many people have been used like this! I hope she gets every penny she can!