A waitress at Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the owners, a manager who allegedly harassed her and the restaurant itself. Karina Bustillos claims that, despite complaints to the restaurant’s general manager, nothing was done to stop Michael Govia from behaving inappropriately toward her in the workplace.
Bustillos notes at least one incident of harassing behavior in her lawsuit. At the close of her shift, she reported asking Govia for change to tip out other staff members. Instead of completing the simple request, Govia repeatedly threw the money on the ground, commanding Bustillos to pick it up and at one point held Busillos by the wrists up against his own body in an offensive manner.
Another staff member at the Beverly Hills restaurant, owned by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast members Lisa Vanderpump, her husband Ken Todd, asserted that this was typical behavior of Govia and how he interacted with female employees.
In another instance of sexual harassment, Bustillos asserted that Govia had attempted to kiss her while at work. She informed him that his conduct was inappropriate and made it clear that it was also unwelcome.
Bustillos requested that she not be scheduled for shifts when Govia was also working based on the continuing harassment she was enduring. Rather than reasonably accommodating her request, Bustillos was assigned fewer shifts and less lucrative shifts in retaliation, she believes for reporting the sexual harassment in the workplace.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “Waitress Sues ‘Real Housewives’ Star,” October 17, 2012
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