Ex-Employee Sues Panda Express for Sexual Battery After Mandatory ‘Self-Improvement Seminar’
Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., the operator of the national chain of Panda Express fast-food restaurants, was sued by former employee Jennifer Spargifiore for sexual battery, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit, filed by Los Angeles employment trial lawyers Blair & Ramirez LLP, follows her required attendance at a “self-improvement seminar,” operated jointly with Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy, to which Ms. Spargifiore and other Panda Express employees were funneled as a prerequisite for further promotion within Panda Express, according to the lawsuit.
The Complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case Number: 21STCV07909, includes causes of action for Sexual Battery (Cal. Civ. Code § 1708.5); Hostile Work Environment Harassment Based on Sex/Gender in Violation of the FEHA (Cal. Gov. Code § 12940(j)); Failure to Prevent Harassment in Violation of the FEHA (Cal. Gov. Code § 12940(k)); Constructive Discharge in Violation of Public Policy; and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.
