Paula Deen's Attorneys Dispute Sexual Harassment Charges

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- A Georgia judge has rejected a request for a gag order restricting pre-trial comments in a sexual harassment lawsuit against celebrity chef Paula Deen's companies.

Attorneys for Deen said Tuesday that a former worker who claimed she was sexually harassed and subjected to a hostile work environment at a restaurant co-owned by Deen and her brother made false claims after Deen refused to pay her to keep quiet.

A statement from the law firm representing Deen says the lawsuit from Lisa Jackson "makes false allegations against Paula Deen and they will be proven false in court." The restaurant is in Savannah.

Comments

[RiverCitySlicker]

01:57 PM on 03/08/2012

Remember all the women who came out of the woodwork to accuse Herman Cain of sexual harassment? Is there anyone here but me who remembers how many HP posters, CAME TO THEIR DEFENSE, no questions asked, citing countless reasons why women often remain silent or linger in abusive settings?

Doesn't this woman who's making the same claim against Deen and her brother deserve the same consideration as the Cain accusers? Why the rush to judgement for the Deen accuser - I thought this was a liberal blog? I didn't realize there were this many prejudice liberals.

[SBinF]

08:33 AM on 03/09/2012

I dunno, if I were being egregiously harassed it probably wouldn't take me five years to find another job....just sayin'.

[caty306933]

09:03 PM on 03/10/2012

I'm with you! It is not like all the allegations were done in one year. This is during a period of 5 years. As a woman, who has previously been harrassed at work, sometimes you need the job. And then you reach your breaking point and you can't take it anymore. Sometimes I would just be in shock and kind of blocked it out, and would try to forget about it when it happened. And part of that is the abuser who makes you feel like something is wrong with you, or maybe there is an atmosphere where this is accepted. Once in a while I encounter a bully at work and I still go into that same mode of shock! I still can't speak up about it. I just recently had a manager who bullied and belittled me, even though I was doing my job, worked at the same company for over 25 years, etc. And when I reported it to my boss, she brushed it off and it appears she believes it is my fault. Can I trust her again? Never. There is still this sort of attitude. So whether or not they actually did this or not, you never know. You have to give the alleged victim the benefit of the doubt. Because if she is telling the truth, part of coming forward takes alot of nerve, and it is harder to get through it when people don't believe you.

[GraceNotes]

09:40 AM on 03/08/2012

Isn't that what she is paying her attorneys to do?

[frank day]

08:16 AM on 03/08/2012

My wife turns off the channel now whenever Paula comes on.

[Mrs Draper]

03:07 PM on 03/08/2012

Your wife is dumdora

[frank day]

03:49 PM on 03/08/2012

How can you type over that huge belly?

[calls it as I sees it]

09:20 PM on 03/07/2012

Looks like a mango flavored sweet tart on her neck, GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr Hoodoo]

12:45 PM on 03/08/2012

When I saw the first photo on the other article they ran over the weekend, and now this one, the first thing that came to mind was all those decades of butter fat were finally leaking out.

[liberalbug]

09:13 PM on 03/07/2012

if you have ever worked in the restaurant industry, sexual harassment of young women by older loser managers is quite common.

[grailknight]

07:10 PM on 03/07/2012

Two days in a row HP has published pix of the a thinner Paula. She doesn't look happy in either one.

[bmwracer]

12:32 AM on 03/08/2012

Turkey neck will do that.

[Wistfulslinking]

07:05 PM on 03/07/2012

A cheap suit meets a woman who quit almost 3 years ago,

The cheap suit files 7 years after the fact, he blackmails Deen, not her LLC, for $12 million, fails, then holds a defamatory press conference.

Now he threatens a trial, yet, not one witness, statement or EEOC complaint was available out of the 300 employees for the massive failed settlement demand.

Enough Said.

[liberalbug]

09:13 PM on 03/07/2012

shakedown!

[Wistfulslinking]

01:55 PM on 03/08/2012

Eggs-actly.

[frank day]

08:15 AM on 03/08/2012

Blaming the victim.

Do you work for Paula???

[sarahg1243]

12:35 PM on 03/08/2012

Exactly why is it that you are rushing to judgement without a scap of evidence? You weren't there and have no clue what, if anythign, went on. Have you ever heard of innocent unitl proven otherwise?? Are you in partnership with the Jackson?

[Wistfulslinking]

01:54 PM on 03/08/2012

There is no victim. There is an unfounded allegation and a demand for $12 million to keep quiet.

You must be a tabloid reader.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:46 PM on 03/07/2012

Celebrity chef?
C-list cooker of inedible junk, more like.

[Wistfulslinking]

07:06 PM on 03/07/2012

Deen is a celeb and is a chef.

[ThinkCreeps]

07:14 PM on 03/07/2012

Not according to the normal definition of either.

Sure, she owns some eating houses, and makes a lot of money by bilking saps who know from squat about food.

[ChefWithAKnife]

10:23 AM on 03/08/2012

She may be a sub-par celebrity, but trust me she is no chef. Barely qualifies as a home cook.

[liberalbug]

09:15 PM on 03/07/2012

You make good food with lots of butter and cream that I want to eat, yes, I will call you chef. Why do you think food tastes so good every time you eat out--salt, butter, fat. tons of it. That's why eating out is a luxury to be enjoyed in moderation. Paula makes some super unhealthy food but its good in moderation. Yes, she is a chef.

[ThinkCreeps]

10:26 AM on 03/08/2012

I'll bet John McCain - statesman, genius and test pilot - would love to meet you.

[daigz]

06:14 PM on 03/07/2012

Someone got sexually harassed at a restaurant? I've never heard of such a thing.. Oh well, let's cash in cause it's owned by a rich person.

[Wistfulslinking]

07:06 PM on 03/07/2012

Ahem, a hostess promoted to GM in 6 months.

Wonder how THAT happened?

[notreallyabadguy]

12:12 PM on 03/07/2012

Hey Paula, here's a quarter. Go downtown and hire a rat to gnaw that thing off of your face.

[ThinkCreeps]

06:46 PM on 03/07/2012

I would think any decent rat would ask more than that.

[Stevenson52]

03:37 AM on 03/08/2012

It's a mic.

[notreallyabadguy]

01:15 PM on 03/08/2012

Yeah, I saw someone post that later. I got a good laugh out of it though.. that line is from "Uncle Buck" with John Candy.

[herp derpenstein]

10:52 AM on 03/07/2012

in other news, paula now can make one m&m per day on her face. she plans to sell these to the highest bidder each day so get those eebay accounts ready and warm

[liberalbug]

09:16 PM on 03/07/2012

ok, that's just wrong.

[herp derpenstein]

09:22 PM on 03/07/2012

yes her unquenchable thirst for money and obese Americans is utterly wrong. i do concur my good sir or madame. *takes drag from old timey pipe whilst pondering the situation*

[Ixo]

10:51 AM on 03/07/2012

to keep quiet from what? what do Deen and her brother want to keep quiet??

[jackets34]

11:37 AM on 03/07/2012

Deen's attorney is saying that the plaintiff wanted money from Deen and her brother so the plaintiff wouldn't file a lawsuit. They refused, hence the lawsuit.

Only in America...................

[Sa Turn]

02:52 PM on 03/07/2012

Doesn't that constitute blackmail?

[ThinkCreeps]

06:49 PM on 03/07/2012

She would say that wouldn't she.

[JanelleCJonas]

09:49 AM on 03/07/2012

What is on her face?

[algonquin j calhoun]

10:15 AM on 03/07/2012

an errant Rice Crispy?

[GrandmaG]

10:43 AM on 03/07/2012

I wondered that too.