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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

The Perils of Automatic Dialing

SAN LUIS OBISPO (CN) - Unaware he had accidentally called an employee's cellphone, a manager bragged to friends that he had sex with her three times a week and that she needed to be "bitch slapped, and she was fired for complaining about it, the woman claims in court.

Jessica Highhouse says the boss's comments were recorded on her voice mail, in her Oct. 21 lawsuit in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

Highhouse says the unnamed boss had sexually harassed her throughout her three months at Central Coast Fence in Grover Beach, with "sexual comments" to her and descriptions of "his sex life with other women."

"The manager would also ask plaintiff out profusely, to which plaintiff always rejected," Highhouse says in the complaint.

Finally, "the manager accidentally called plaintiff on her cell phone and left a voice message. In the message, plaintiff could hear the manager telling his friends that he had sex with plaintiff three times a week and that plaintiff needed to be 'bitch-slapped' around," according to the complaint.

Highhouse says she immediately complained to the company owner, and was fired the next day.

Company president Chris Lundberg could not be reached for comment late Thursday afternoon.

Highhouse seeks punitive damages for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful firing and violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. She also wants the company ordered to train its workers "to 'sensitize' them to the harmful nature of discriminating and retaliating against an employee exercising his/her rights under FEHA."

She is represented by Joseph Lovretovich, with JML Law of Woodland Hills.

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