Dec 4, 2008 8:45 pm US/Pacific
Ex-Worker Files Suit Over Hilton Ballroom Orgy
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ―
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A lawsuit filed in Hennepin County, Minn. District court alleges Smith opened the door to a Hilton banquet room and discovered an orgy involving Hilton upper management.
CBS
A former manager at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel is suing the corporation after she says that she walked in on an orgy that allegedly took place in a public area of the hotel.
The woman is suing for sexual harassment and discrimination.
The former Hilton employee also claims she was retaliated against and fired after she reported the incident to Human Resources.
Deborah Smith, 43, apparently worked as a night manager in the Skywater Restaurant and Lounge in the Minneapolis Hilton from April 2006 to December 2007.
At some point during that time, a lawsuit filed in Hennepin County District court alleges Smith opened the door to a Hilton banquet room and discovered an orgy involving Hilton upper management.
Court papers say Smith "saw executives inebriated and engaging in sexual acts. In fact, she observed Hilton executives on top of a table engaging in sexual activity."
The lawsuit said she showed disapproval for what she called an orgy and complained to Hilton human resources of a campaign of retaliation ensued against her.
She said she was later set up for "retaliatory termination and fired."
University of Minnesota law school professor Lisa Stratton said if the allegations are true, Smith did what employers encourage by reporting it.
"What we don't know is exactly what this employee said to human resources and from the complaint we can't tell very much detail at all what kind of mistreatment she was subjected to," said Stratton.
Now it's up to the court to decide what happened here.
Two other former employees also filed suits in connection with this case.
Deborah Smith and her attorney declined WCCO-TV's request for an interview.
A Hilton spokesperson said they'd like to respond to the allegations, but they don't comment on pending litigation.
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