Robert Duffy Sued, Accused Of Keeping Employee Sex Book, Forcing Worker To Pole-Dance

Times are tough for Marc Jacobs President Robert Duffy.

Over the weekend, one of the brand's interns had a meltdown on Twitter, calling Duffy a "tyrant," and now he -- along with parent group LVMH -- is being sued by former chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Marc Jacobs International Patrice Lataillade, Women's Wear Daily reports. Lataillade claims he was "subjected to a discriminatory environment offensive to him" and was "fired in retaliation for objecting to that environment."

What type of environment? The fashion newspaper explains:

According to the lawsuit, examples of the hostile work environment included Duffy's "production and dissemination of a book that included photos of MJI staff in sexual positions or nude" and "Duffy's use of a nude photograph for a billboard advertisement," among other charges.

The suit also alleges that Duffy "uses company funds for personal expenses and does not censor what he does or says."

The New York Post adds that Duffy once forced a Marc Jacobs store employee to "perform a pole dance for him," according to the complaint. From the time Lataillade started working at Marc Jacobs in 2002, there were several sexual harassment cases brought or floated against Duffy. The Post writes:

His conduct was so well-known, the filing says, that when the company's human resources department drew up a sexual harassment policy last year, they didn't actually disseminate it "because of a concern that it would anger Duffy," who co-founded the company with Jacobs.

Lataillade said he "complained about Duffy's behavior and requested, on numerous occasions, that Duffy's creation of a sexually charged workplace be stopped," but "nothing was done," the suit says.

Duffy's alleged victims also didn't have much success with their complaints, with the company lawyer telling a young female employee she needed a "thicker skin" and a male employee to "go home early and have a drink," the suit says.

An LVMH spokesman denied all allegations to WWD and the case is expected to be heard in New York State court. Jacobs, himself, is supposedly not named in the suit.

Comments

[jusathot]

01:26 PM on 04/02/2011

These women-hating perverts? Wanting women to look like they were just pulled out of the Holocaust? What else would you expect?

[terkid]

04:09 PM on 04/01/2011

... start packing your LV, RD.

[thehuff]

11:55 AM on 04/15/2011

Not so quick. Mr Duffy co-owns the company. He's not simply an employee. And keep in mind that there are always two sides to every story...

[reluctantWASP]

03:52 AM on 04/01/2011

They just drew up a sexual harassment policy last year? Obviously, the human resources department at Marc Jacobs is completely and totally incompetent. It is unfathomable that any company such as this would not have already had such a policy in place years ago. Judging from the horrible caps Marc Jacobs ceo has, one can also assume hr dropped the ball o the company dental plan. The CEO is a sex crazed loon, the hr department seems to be run preschoolers, and their CFO is suing them. It seems the only way this company could be run any worse would be if Marc Jacobs grabbed a couple of blank staring models off the runway and put them in charge. Although, that might be better as the sexual harassment suits might come to an end.

[inkhosi]

12:21 AM on 04/01/2011

He was sexually harrassing men AND women?

[chardonnay48]

04:22 AM on 04/01/2011

Frickin double dipper.

[Amber Berglund]

07:54 PM on 03/31/2011

Oui...Bros Before Hoes

[Andrew FingerlickingGree]

07:16 PM on 03/31/2011

Scandalous!!! .....not!

[Jeronimo Dan]

06:50 PM on 03/31/2011

Just a young guy metamorphosing into an old Queen. It won't be pretty...

[Brian Gorrell]

02:26 AM on 04/01/2011

Hahaha funny

[Russ Noe]

03:17 PM on 03/31/2011

Apparently, the Devil wears more than Prada.

[Chrystal Ji Davey]

05:24 PM on 03/31/2011

...or wears nothing at all?

Sorry, I had to :P

[Kitten Kramer]

01:41 PM on 03/31/2011

This is not news, people that work for and know Duffy have known that this has been going on for a very long time. So glad the intern had the courage to speak up and let the truth be known. If Duffy doesn't go to jail or pay huge then something is wrong with not just the fashion industry but our law.

[DawnK]

03:38 PM on 03/31/2011

This is news to people who don't work for or know Duffy though.

[jeana21]

01:15 PM on 03/31/2011

If Duffy was attractive, this wouldn't be called sexual harassment.

[inARCTICulate]

02:58 PM on 03/31/2011

I have always said:
'It's only harassment, if they're not cute.'

[nik101]

01:15 PM on 03/31/2011

It's a rough world out there in the fashion industry. Asked to pole dance, just say no.

[Chrystal Ji Davey]

05:25 PM on 03/31/2011

Sadly, some people lose the perception of what a job is really worth. Your dignity? No. Put it first!

[MyReality2011]

12:15 PM on 03/31/2011

interns aren't always snotty brats. sometimes they're the most courageous people in the office b/c they don't have a vested interest.

Looks like the MJ intern that spoke up earlier was right.