Start with the harassment. The plaintiff, a security officer, alleged that her manager repeatedly targeted her with escalating sexual misconduct—pressuring her to go out with him after work (including to a strip club), making explicit sexual comments, and continuing even after she said no. The allegations get worse: unwanted touching, groping, being shoved against a wall, exposing himself, and demands for sexual acts. This wasn't "inappropriate behavior." It was alleged sexual assault, enabled by authority and isolation at a worksite.
Then comes the part juries punish: retaliation. When the plaintiff finally reported the harassment, the company's response wasn't protection or investigation. It was radio silence, scheduling games, and then termination-by-ghosting—no clear answers, no assignments, no job.
But the cherry on top is the evidence issue. The plaintiff alleged she turned over a recording device containing audio proof of the harassment. She begged for it back. She explained it also contained the voice of her deceased aunt—something irreplaceable. The company allegedly kept and never returned it. Call it what you want: evidence mishandling, spoliation, destruction, bad faith. A jury likely called it what it looked like—a cover-up. And cover-ups, once uncovered, add decimal points to verdicts.
When an employer tolerates harassment, punishes reporting, and makes evidence disappear, it's not just risking liability. It's begging for a bad outcome. And at $5.5 million, this one landed exactly where it belonged. It also lands this employer as my first nominee for the Worst Employer of 2026.