A former employee of the Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center is suing the hotel chain, alleging she was sexually assaulted by a manager and then forced to quit.
Dearborn women Metro Times The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, alleges that the Detroit Marriott “created a sexually hostile environment” and failed to protect her because she was the alleged victim of a crime.
According to the lawsuit, manager Dhruva Koirala invited the employee to his hotel room at the end of his shift at 1 p.m. on August 8 “on the pretext that other employees were also present.”
Koirala made her drinks and food, but she woke up confused in his bed at 7 a.m. the next day, the lawsuit says. She “discovered that her underwear was inside out and her sanitary products were missing,” according to the lawsuit, filed by prominent Michigan civil rights law firm Marco Law.
According to the lawsuit, Koirala allegedly “engaged in harmful, unlawful and offensive physical contact” with employees.
According to the lawsuit, the woman filed a police report and was tested with a rape test kit, which showed that her DNA matched that of the store manager.
Marko says criminal charges have been laid against Koirala.
All employers “have a duty to provide their employees with a safe work environment and to ensure that their employees do not harm others,” her lawyer, John Marco, said in a statement Monday. “Not only did Marriott breach its duty by failing to protect our client, but no one should be able to tolerate sexual assault as a condition of their employment.”
“As a result of this incident, she was forced to resign from her job with Marriott and has not been able to work since due to the trauma she suffered,” Marco said.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, direct negligence, retaliation, a hostile work environment and violations of Michigan's Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.
Named as defendants in the suit are Marriott International, Detroit HMS LLC, Detroit Hotel Services, the Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center and Sodexo.
The suit alleges that the hotel breached its duties by “knowing or should have known that Mr. Koirala had a history of sexually assaulting and harassing employees, yet willfully ignoring his conduct and condoning his assaults and harassment of employees.”
Metro Times Marriott could not immediately be reached for comment.