May 1, 2008 8:12 pm US/Pacific
Rob Lowe's Wife Sued For Alleged Hostile Conduct
LOS ANGELES
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The allegations in Laura Boyce's court papers, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, range from sexual harassment and wrongful constructive termination to various violations of wage and hour laws.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Actor Rob Lowe's wife Sheryl subjected one of two former nannies the couple is suing to "sexually offensive and hostile conduct" for seven months, according to the ex-employee's countersuit.
The allegations in Laura Boyce's court papers, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, range from sexual harassment and wrongful constructive termination to various violations of wage and hour laws.
The Lowes sued Boyce in Los Angeles last month, alleging that she disclosed details about her employment with them and lied about the conditions under which she worked.
Boyce's lawyer is Gloria Allred, who also represents Jessica Gibson, a second former Lowe family nanny who countersued her former bosses after they also accused her of breaking a confidentiality pact.
The Lowes also have sued one of their former chefs, Peter Clements, on
the same grounds. The couple's suits against Gibson and Clements were filed in Santa Barbara Superior Court.
According to the countersuit, Sheryl Lowe's "sexually offensive and hostile conduct" occurred between April and November of last year and included walking around naked in front of Boyce, asking her questions about her sexual relations with a former National Basketball Association player and talking about her sex life with her actor husband.
Boyce also claims she overheard Sheryl Lowe make a racially related remark about the private parts of her boyfriend, who is black.
Boyce's countersuit further alleges that she regularly worked 15-hour days for the Lowes and was not paid at the appropriate rate for overtime. She is seeking unspecified special, general and compensatory damages.
The Lowes' complaint against Boyce, filed on April 7, alleges defamation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and intentional misrepresentation. They are asking for unspecified general and punitive damages.
According to the suit, Boyce worked for the Lowes during the last year as a nanny to their two sons, Matthew, 14, and John Owen, 12, and signed a confidentiality agreement like every other Lowe employee.
Boyce developed a close relationship with the Lowe family, who live in Santa Barbara County, and talked freely about her personal life with Sheryl, the suit states.
Boyce did not report to work last November, prompting the Lowes to file a missing person's report, their court papers say. They say they later learned she had "betrayed their trust and has also engaged in a scheme to hurt the Lowes by spreading malicious lies about each of them."
According to their suit, Boyce conspired with another former family employee and third parties to "damage the Lowes' reputation."
Lowe, 44, who currently stars in the ABC series "Brothers & Sisters," and his 46-year-old wife, a television and film makeup artist, have been married since July 1991.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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