Four former employees sue Ryan's, supervisor for sexual harassment

CHARLESTON -- Four former Ryan's Restaurant employees are suing the restaurant and its manager for sexual harassment.

Carilla Matos, Tina Laney, Jennifer Sanders and Jennifer Davis were employed by the defendants' restaurant in Beckley, according to four complaints filed Nov. 9 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

The women claim during their employments, Thomas Doolittle sexually harassed them and caused a hostile work environment to be created.

Despite complaints, Ryan's Restaurant failed to take action, according to the suit.

Matos and Sanders claim when they attempted to file complaints with the Human Resources Department, their employments were terminated.

Laney and Davis claim they were forced to leave their employments because of the hostile work environment.

The defendants violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act for sexually harassing them based upon gender, according to the suit.

The four women are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are being represented by Robert B. Warner and Tammy Bowles Raines.

The cases have been assigned to Circuit Judges Jennifer Bailey, James C. Stucky, Paul Zakaib Jr. and Louis H. Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case numbers: 11-C-1996, 11-C-1997, 11-C-1998, 11-C-1999