Women Sue Over Manager’s Toilet Spy Cams

(CN) - Finish Line faces a federal lawsuit by five young women who say their boss secretly videotaped them dressing for work and using the toilet at the athletic-wear store near Milpitas, Calif.

Former store manager David Meyer positioned the restroom camera directly across from the toilet to capture video of both workers and customers' genitalia, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in San Jose. Likewise the camera in the dressing room, which is also used by customers and staffers, was positioned beside a mirror that faces a bench.

The plaintiffs, one of whom was a minor at the time she worked at Finish Line, claim the camera caught them in various states of undress and, in one case, inserting a tampon.

"The videos recorded on the hidden camera were discovered on defendant Meyer's personal computer on or around March 16, 2011," according to the complaint.

"In the videos, defendant Meyer is clearly shown adjusting the camera while wearing his Finish Line employee T-shirt," the complaint continues. "Defendant Meyer's voice is also audible during some of the videos."

"The hidden video camera device was concealed in the employee restroom opposite the toilet and was positioned on each occasion so that one's full genitalia would be exposed head-on in the face of the camera while standing upright, facing the restroom door."

The women say Meyer's conduct has given them anxiety, insomnia, a fear of public restrooms and other consequences.

Their attorney filed suit after failing to reach a resolution in pre-litigation mediation, the complaint states.

The women seek punitive damages from Finish Line and Meyer, who "fled the state of California when the video recordings were discovered, and is currently residing in Indianapolis," according to the complaint.

They sued the company and former manager for negligence and violations of various state privacy and labor laws. The women also seek to prevent Meyer from distributing the footage.

They are represented by San Francisco-based attorney William Audet.

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