LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A hostess has dropped her lawsuit against Nobu Malibu LLC in which she alleged those in charge tolerated sexual harassment of her by both managers and patrons.
The plaintiff, a 24-year-old hostess identified only as Jane Doe, sued the restaurant in Los Angeles Superior Court last Sept. 13, contending she and her female colleagues were routinely subjected to sexual assault by customers and managers.
“Because of its close proximity to Hollywood’s brightest stars and (due to) Nobu’s `please the customer first’ mantra, plaintiff and other young female hostesses performing the same role, endure outright sexual advances and abuse for the sake of maintaining Nobu’s glamorous reputation and keeping their jobs,” the suit stated.
The Nobu brand requires its young hostesses to greet guests in scantily clad black uniforms, but does not protect hostesses from overt sexual harassment, both externally from customers and internally from Nobu managers, the suit alleged.
But in court papers filed Aug. 9 with Judge Daniel M. Crowley, the plaintiff’s lawyers asked that their client’s case be dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning it can be refiled later. The court papers do not state if a settlement was reached or if Doe is not pursuing the case for other reasons.
In their previous court papers, Nobu attorneys maintained that Doe’s claims were barred in whole or in part by the statute of limitations and the plaintiff’s “own actions and course of conduct.”
Nobu lawyers also contende that Doe was bound by a binding agreement to arbitrate any workplace disputes and that her request for punitive damages was unconstitutional. The defense attorneys asked that judgment be entered in the restaurant’s favor and that it be awarded attorneys’ fees.
The Nobu restaurants were founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro and producer Meir Teper.
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