Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Filed by Ukrainian Woman Against Clifford Crane, Security Marketing Concepts and Apollo Security Sales
Former Employee Alleges CEO Lured Her to Leave Ukraine and Move to Orange County, Where He Then Used Her Job Security, Visa Status and Housing Accommodations as Leverage to Force Her to Succumb to Sexual Advances
(PRWEB) October 29, 2009 -- Today, a former employee of Security Marketing Concepts, Inc. and Apollo Security Sales filed a sexual harassment, fraud and wrongful termination lawsuit against the two companies and their CEO, Clifford Crane. She also asserted an additional claim against Mr. Crane and another company in which he is a principal (KMA International Marketing Corp.) for sexual harassment in housing by a landlord or property manager.
In her Complaint, which was filed in Orange County Superior Court (Case No. 30-2009 00315713), Alla Sazonova alleges that Crane solicited her to leave her home country of Ukraine based on false assurances of a legitimate and platonic position of employment. However, after Ms. Sazonova relocated to Orange County to begin working, the lawsuit alleges that Crane exploited the vulnerability of her position and used his power and influence over Ms. Sazonova's job security and her work visa to coerce and intimidate her into sexual submission. The Complaint alleges that he provided her with promised salary increases and preferential treatment when she succumbed to his sexual advances and that she was threatened with adverse employment actions and, ultimately, fired when she refused.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, Crane has a history of pressuring foreign employees to have sex with him after soliciting them to move here from their home countries.
According to the Complaint, Crane also provided rental housing to Ms. Sazonova and served as her landlord. Ms. Sazonova's Complaint alleges that Crane abused his position as her landlord by using her housing as leverage to compel her sexual submission. According to the Complaint, he offered to alleviate her of any rent obligations when she succumbed to his advances but evicted her when she refused.
Commenting about these allegations, Ms. Sazonova's attorney, Gregory D. Helmer of Helmer • Friedman, LLP, said, "If, for whatever reason, employers want to recruit employees from countries outside the United States, that is their business decision and their prerogative. But, employers need to understand that, if they choose to bring someone over here from another country, they cannot take advantage of that person's ignorance of our laws. People who are brought here to work from other countries are incredibly vulnerable and incredibly reliant upon the employer's good intentions. It is easy for an unscrupulous employer to prey upon them."
For additional information or a PDF copy of Ms. Sazonova's Complaint, contact:
Gregory D. Helmer (ghelmer at helmerfriedman dot com)
Andrew H. Friedman (afriedman at helmerfriedman dot com)
Kenneth A. Helmer (khelmer at helmerfriedman dot com)
Helmer • Friedman, LLP, (310) 396-7714
(www.helmerfriedman.com)
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