Waitress says she was harassed, injured at Shoney's

CHARLESTON - A woman says her boss injured while using his backside to push her against a wall at the Shoney's Restaurant in Summersville.

Rosetta Lynn Dalton also complains of sexual harassment in a lawsuit she filed July 21 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Crump Family Restaurants, Shoney's and Wendell Richmond.

"During the entire period Plaintiff worked at the Shoney's in Summersville, Richmond continuously made unwelcome sexual advances toward Plaintiff," the complaint says. "On a daily basis, the defendant Wendell Richmond made inappropriate remarks, sexual innuendos and sexual barbs to the plaintiff because of her gender."

It adds that he touched Dalton, who says he flipped up her skirt, fondled her ears and torso, bit her, made lewd remarks about feminine hygiene and hygiene products and backed her up against a wall with his butt, lifting her off the ground.

She says she was hired in 1991 and was subjected to this behavior during the entire time she worked there. On July 27, 2004, she says he backed her against the wall with his butt and made her fall, "severely internally deranging her (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and medial meniscus" and her back.

She says the incident also caused her anxiety and depression and charges the defendants with sexual harassment, deliberate intent and creating a hostile working environment.

Frank Venezia of Shaffer and Shaffer in Madison is representing Dalton, who seeks compensatory and punitive damages and court costs.

Judge Charlie King has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-1428