A former personal cameraman for Megan Thee Stallion alleges the Grammy-winning artist created a hostile workplace due to personal criticisms of his weight and having sex in front of him without his consent. The complaint, filed in California state court, recounts an incident where cameraman Emilio Garcia was forced to witness the celebrity having sex with another woman while trapped in a moving vehicle. It also alleges verbal abuse regarding Garcia’s weight and eating habits and a violation of California labor laws by misclassifying him as an independent contractor.
Why the Cameraman Is Alleging a Hostile Workplace
According to the lawsuit, during a trip to Ibiza, Spain, Garcia claims that he found himself in an SUV with Megan Thee Stallion and three other women. Garcia alleges that the rapper and another woman began to have sex next to him. He asserts that the vehicle was moving through a remote area in a foreign country, so he could not leave. The incident made him “embarrassed, mortified, and offended,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit further accuses Megan Thee Stallion of fat shaming and verbal abuse during the same trip and throughout his employment. He alleges that the rapper went so far as to knock food out of his hand. After the trip, Garcia alleges that the rapper warned him never to discuss what he had witnessed and began subjecting him to derogatory comments about his weight.
Separate Complaints Over Wage and Hour Violations
The complaint also outlines employment law violations, including wage and hour violations. According to the complaint, Megan initially paid Garcia a flat monthly rate. However, after the trip to Ibiza, this changed to a pay-per-service model in which he earned significantly less. Garcia claims that despite the lowered pay, he was still regularly asked to work 50 hours per week and was not allowed to work for other clients.
Megan’s Response
Megan’s attorney, Alex Spiro, has responded to the allegations, stating that the lawsuit has “no sexual harassment claim filed” and instead only contains “salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her.”
Spiro’s assertion that there is no sexual harassment claim is true to an extent. There are two possible types of sexual harassment claims you can make:
Quid pro quo sexual harassment, which occurs when a supervisor or employer makes explicit sexual demands in return for something else, such as a promotion, increased salary, or keeping the employee’s job. The complaint makes no allegation of quid pro quo sexual harassment.
Hostile workplace, which involves serious, demeaning, and repeated inappropriate comments. Sharing pornography, making inappropriate jokes, and threats can fall into this category. However, a one-time inappropriate comment is typically not enough. It must be ongoing behavior that interferes with the employee’s work performance and psychological well-being.
Garcia is filing a hostile workplace claim in violation of California law, but Megan Thee Stallion’s alleged sexual encounter in Ibiza is only a part of the behavior that created this.
The claim over wage and hour violations and employee misclassification are separate issues.
Possible Damages
Garcia is seeking substantial financial damages for the alleged pain and suffering he endured, both physically and emotionally, as a result of the hostile work environment he endured. He is also asking for punitive damages, which are not intended to compensate the victim but instead punish particularly egregious and willful behavior and deter similar future conduct. California law allows punitive damages in hostile workplace lawsuits.
Related Resources
Sexual Harassment: Actions You Can Take (FindLaw’s Learn About the Law)
The #MeToo Movement, Time’s Up, and the Law (FindLaw’s Learn About the Law)
Sexual Harassment at Work (FindLaw’s Learn About the Law)
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