Hardly a Tale of the Gallant South

SAVANNAH, Ga. (CN) - Six women say their restaurant manager assaulted and abused them, tried to rape one in his office and "punched a plaintiff, who he believed was pregnant, in the stomach and stated that this was 'his form of birth control.'"

The six women, who range in age from their teens to mid-twenties, sued Andy Oswald and Café Enterprises, in Chatham County Court.

They describe Oswald as the general manager and operating partner of the Fatz Café, a South Carolina corporation doing business in Pooler, Ga.

The complaint states: "Oswald lured a plaintiff into his private officer under the guise of discussing work and attempted to rape her.

"Oswald imprisoned a plaintiff in his office and demanded that the plaintiff disrobe, so he could see her breasts.

"Oswald punched a plaintiff, who he believed was pregnant, in the stomach and stated that this was 'his form of birth control. ...'

"Oswald would make vulgar comments to plaintiffs about female employees such as his desire to 'F K the S T' out of certain female employees, and 'her ass looks great today.'

"Oswald would regularly slap plaintiffs' buttocks with his hand and push his genitals against plaintiffs' backsides.

"Oswald would pull the hair of female employees in front of plaintiffs and ask plaintiffs if 'that was how they liked it.'

"Oswald choked a plaintiff while she was attempting to do her job.

"Oswald would pick up plaintiffs and throw them over his shoulder and then ram their buttocks up against restaurant equipment and walls."

And so on.

The women say several employees complained to company management about Oswald's outrageous conduct, but "no action was taken against Oswald because these officials were friends of Oswald and were protecting him, to the detriment of plaintiffs."

Instead of taking action against Oswald, the bosses tipped him off about the employees' complaints, the women say. Oswald then "threatened physical violence towards any plaintiff that would expose his conduct to the employer," the women say.

They seek punitive damages for assault and battery, negligence, false imprisonment, emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

They are represented by Jack Rosenberg of Atlanta.

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