2 Winnipeg women suing car dealership over alleged 'sexually toxic workplace'

Two women are suing a Winnipeg car dealership alleging they were fired after complaining to management about sexual assault, threats and harassment they faced from their bosses at Vickar Mitsubishi.

The two lawsuits were filed July 26 and Aug. 4 and contend the women were subject to a "sexually toxic workplace" and the company ignored the women's complaints.

A former receptionist at the dealership filed the first lawsuit against the dealership, two male managers and a salesman in a statement of claim with the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench on July 26.

She alleges her direct supervisor, who was then the dealership's general sales manager, wrapped a ribbon around her throat and said words to the effect of, "This is what I'm going to do to you later in the bedroom," court documents reveal.

'Physically and psychologically restrained'

The lawsuit alleges that in another instance,the manager blocked her against an office cabinet where she was "physically and psychologically restrained from leaving the area until the sexual advance was completed."

The woman says she was nominated for employee of the quarter by the manager and alleges he said, "When you win employee of the year, you can come back to my hotel room to thank me," or similar words, court documents say.

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The woman alleges the same man ran his hands up her dress to touch her buttocks and see if she was wearing underwear and regularly grabbed her pants and pulled at the waistline of her pants, in addition to talking about her buttocks in public and asking routinely if she was wearing any underwear.

"These are serious allegations," said Victor Bargen, a lawyer representing the receptionist and a second female staffer, who are both suing the dealership for an undetermined amount in damages.

There was regular grabbing, touching and rubbing of her buttocks and one time, the male manager made a gesture referring to how far down her throat a Popsicle could go, the receptionist alleges.

"It was clearly unwanted," said Bargen.

The allegations have not been proven in court and CBC News is not naming the women or the alleged perpetrators.

The dealership is located at950 Regent Ave. West in Winnipeg.It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

'Repetitive conduct'

The woman alleges the same manager called her "daddy's little girl" and said that "daddy's little girl would want her sausage in between her buns."

"The real problem here has been the repetitive conduct," said Bargen, who is working with Winnipeg lawyer Chelsey Morgado on the case.

The former receptionist also alleges her manager inappropriately rubbed her shoulders and winked at her in front of her daughter at a Vickar children's Christmas party.

CBC News reached the manager at another car dealership but he refused comment.

The woman also alleges a salesman rubbed her neck, shoulders and upper back while making sexual remarks. She alleges he made lewd public comments about her daughter, saying, "So she looks good," or words to that effect. In court documents, the woman says she was fearful her daughter would witness inappropriate sexual advances at her work.

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The salesman denies the allegations in a statement of defence and says if there was any touching, it was unintended and without sexual intention and that words said about the daughter weren't sexual in nature.

The receptionist, who started working part-time at the dealership in June 2014, said when she complained to management she was threatened with losing her job and was ultimately fired in February 2016.

The second lawsuit against the dealership is from a former finance manager who started working at Vickar Mitsubishi in 2015. She is suing the dealership, the company's president, the same manager the receptionist made allegations against and a different salesman.

Allegations of choking, blowing in ear

The former finance manager alleges the male manager pulled her head toward his penis and wrapped a scarf around her throat to choke her. She also alleges unwanted touching by the manager, saying herubbed and massaged her shoulders, as well as blowing in her ear in the dealership's showroom.

The same manager also took part in a sexual display carried out by the salesman in a situation where he put his genitals on her work desk while making sexual innuendoes, court documents allege. The woman alleges the dealership was blind to a "sexually toxic workplace" and condoned the assault.

She says she was fired unjustly in April 2016 andher mental health continues to suffer, and she has required prescription medication to help her with the post-traumatic stress she developed from her treatment at the dealership.

The woman declined to comment when reached by CBC News on the phone and referred inquiries about the case to her lawyer.

Vickar 'acted quickly' to address complaints

CBC News asked the dealership for an interview, but Mehdi Moghareh, the business's new general manager, declined to comment.

The company's lawyer, however, said while there needs to be limited discussion about the matter as it's before the courts, "Inappropriate behaviour in any workplace must not be tolerated.

"When this very disturbing situation was brought forward, we acted quickly to address it," Wayne Onchulenkowrote in an email to CBC.

Onchulenko said internal and external investigations into the matter led to the "departure of a manager and a change in workplace practices."

He said the dealership now has diversity training sessions planned for employees to reinforce the need for courteous and considerate behaviour in the workplace.

"Everyone is entitled to a safe, respectful workplace environment," Onchulenko said.

As of Monday, only one of the salesmen had filed a statement of defence.