CHARLESTON — A restaurant server is suing the owner of the restaurant where she worked, citing an alleged hostile work environment and sexual harassment.
Xzambria Bryant filed a complaint Dec. 13 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Blue Water Investors, Inc. and Travis Funk, owners of Buffalo Wild Wings, for allege violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act.
According to the complaint, from the outset of her employment at the defendants’ restaurant, Bryant claims, she and her fellow female employees were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment. Bryant, who is African American, claims she was subjected to sexually explicit and vulgar comments, and an overall culture of sexual harassment.
Bryant also claims the main perpetrator of the conduct was Funk, who holds supervisory authority over her. Despite reporting the discriminatory conduct to the human resource department, no corrective action was allegedly taken and her employment was terminated in December 2016.
The plaintiff holds Blue Water Investors, Inc. and Travis Funk responsible because they allegedly permitted the sexual discrimination to occur in the workplace despite the knowledge of the conduct, and allowed it to continue unremedied for so long as to amount to discriminatory policy or practice.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for front and back pay, compensatory damages, all out of pocket losses, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and such other further relief as the Court deems appropriate. She is represented by Sean W. Cook of Meyer Ford & Glasser, PLLC in Charleston.
Kanawha Circuit Court Case number 18-C-1521