Innocent until proven guilty – glad I got that out of the way. Wynn Resorts seems to not have learned anything from the Steve Wynn sexual misconduct scandal that took the casino operator to its knees and put its future in jeopardy. A class-action lawsuit has been launched against the company by female employees, who assert that hostility and gender bias are still rampant within the company in a suit that might even put Wynn’s plans for a Japanese integrated resort in limbo.
According to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ), the suit was filed September 26 on behalf of Brenna Schrader, a massage therapist who was involved in the original Steve Wynn debacle. She was allegedly forced to perform sex acts on Wynn and, executives with the company are now engaging in “mental abuse” of Schrader, according to the lawsuit. In addition, “defendants appear to blame victims for the discriminatory environment that permeates workplace atmosphere to this day” and Schrader, as well as other victims of Steve Wynn’s sexual appetite, are referred to as “prostitutes and sluts.”
Schrader apparently made several attempts to report the hostile work environment, as well as what she says is a “sexual prisonlike atmosphere,” but hasn’t been able to find anyone inside the company willing to address her concerns. She adds that the company “continued to outwardly support” Steve Wynn through official memorandums, “which [were] calculated to deter female employees from cooperating and liberating themselves from forced sexual servitude and a sexually hostile environment.”
Wynn Resorts denies the allegations, going so far as to say that it has investigated the incongruous complaints and “followed all appropriate procedures to address the matter.” It adds that it is “deeply committed to a fair, supportive, and open work environment.” Wynn Resorts might be forced to substantiate those claims in court if the lawsuit gains traction.
If Schrader is able to prove – seriously prove, with written documentation or irrefutable evidence – that her assertions are legitimate, Wynn is going to have a difficult time bouncing back twice. After having to pay a combined $55 million in penalties, $35 million in Massachusetts and $20 million in Nevada, over the actions of the company’s founder and former CEO, the states’ gaming commissions may decide to take measures that could completely turn the company upside down.
