Hello, and welcome to LegalEase. Today’s topic is about sexual harassment, and we’re going to focus on the facts of the recent case filed against rapper and singer, Lizzo. Let’s talk about it.

I want to focus on the facts of the Lizzo case because they are parallel to the facts in lawsuits filed against many employers. A recent lawsuit was filed in LA Superior Court against Lizzo, her tour company, and her Dance Captain or Manager. The Plaintiffs allege that they were taken to a nude bar in Amsterdam, forced to touch each other, and also forced to perform other sexual acts. We will focus on the actions of the manager or Dance Captain. In the typical business setting, the manager acts on behalf of the company – they speak for the company. The scenario alleged by the Plaintiffs  – that  the manger and subordinates were at a bar or strip club  – is a set-up  for allegations of sexual harassment.

What can employers do to avoid legal exposure in these scenarios?

• Train managers, under any circumstance, whether it’s a dance company, a tour company, or a printing service. Train managers on the corporate policies.
  • Managers need to understand that employees are not their friends and, simply put, it is inappropriate for managers to take employees to a strip club.
  • Managers need to understand how treating their subordinate employees as friends can impact the company. As an example, it might be a good idea for managers to unfriend or unfollow subordinates on social media.
  • When training managers, explain that they are separate and apart from their subordinates. They actually have a higher legal duty.

Basically, employers should go beyond simply handing out the employee manual. Managers should be trained on the policies, so they don’t set-up the company for claims of sexual harassment like we see in  the Lizzo case.

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