Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Laura Giulini Accused of sexually harassing female assistant and 'dropping her pants' in New York office'

This is why I need to start a HR Fashion reality show. You can't make this stuff up!
 Female Armani fashion boss accused of sexually harassing female assistant and 'dropping her pants' in New York office'
*Executive assistant Kelle Azzopardi claims she endured months of harassment from ex-boss Laura Giulini
*She filed a wrongful-termination suit at the Manhattan Supreme Court
*She claims Giulini dropped her trousers and exposed herself to Azzopardi in a private office
*Giulini left Armani in October last year to become MD of French luxury goods company Zadig & Voltaire.

An ex-employee is suing the Giorgio Armani Corporation, claiming the company ignored her sexual harassment complaints against a female boss who she claims dropped her trousers and exposed herself to her in a private office. Executive assistant Kelle Azzopardi claims she endured months of harassment from ex-boss Laura Giulini, who was then senior vice president for wholesale apparel at the luxury brand.
In a wrongful-termination suit filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Azzopardi claims Giulini summoned her to a private office, closed the door, ‘then proceeded to take off her pants and expose herself.’ When Azzopardi turned her head away, Giulini told her: ‘You don’t have to do that. I’m not a prude,’ according to the suit.

Laura Giulini
Former Armani SVP Laura Giulini,
Azzopardi says she repeatedly complained to the human resources department at the company's Fifth Ave. offices in Manhattan, New York about Giulini’s behavior, but her complaints were ignored.

She was eventually fired in November and claims it was as a result of her complaints.

Giulini had left Armani the month before to become managing director of the French luxury goods company Zadig & Voltaire.

Azzopardi claims Giulini began harassing her soon after she joined the company in October 2011 as an executive assistant and ‘ramped up her unconscionable behavior’ after the episode of exposing herself in the private office.

In her wrongful-termination suit, Azzopardi claims that Giulini ‘trumped up negative reports’ about her work. She also says she was forced to sign a report ‘confirming’ Giulini’s claim that her work was not up to scratch.

Azzopardi claims that the harassment continued even as Giulini was leaving the company.
At a going-away party last October for Giulini, which was widely attended by Armani employees, Giulini called Azzopardi to her side, reports the New York Post. Giulini ‘brazenly gestured to (Azzopardi) and announced to everyone that she tried to have Ms. Azzopardi fired,’ the suit claims.
Azzopardi, who claims she received 'stellar' evaluations from other Armani executives, was eventually put into 'performance counseling' for 30 days and then fired, the suit charges.

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