WE’RE NOT SHOCKED! Former L’Oréal Marketing VP Sues Beauty Company Over Racial Discrimination And A Hostile Work Environment That Included Drunken Sex Parties & Porn At The Workplace

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UNITED STATES — In the era of Trump, nothing shocks us anymore! Every week, we hear/read stories about women, female executives, and CEO’s speaking up and taking a stand against racism discrimination, patriarchy and sexism.

A former L’Oréal head honcho is suing the beauty company over allegations that she was racially discriminated against, and that the work environment was so toxic that she even witnessed a male business exec watching pornography in a meeting.

Amanda Johnson, who is a woman of color, quickly rose in the ranks at the beauty behemoth after she was first hired at L’Oréal as an assistant vice president of digital marketing. She was soon-after promoted to vice president.

In her federal suit, however, she says her exciting ride to the top was muddied as “Johnson quickly learned the ugly truth about the beauty giant, including witnessing a male executive openly watching pornography during a business meeting; sex-fueled parties at luxury European hotels during work trips; and racist hostility from the highest levels of management.”

Last June 2018, while in Europe, Johnson said she felt physically threatened by fellow Vice President Nicolas Krafft.

She submitted an internal complaint to her boss, Dan Bethelmy-Rada. He promised her he would address the issue when she returned from vacation.

Johnson confided in her coworkers; she told them she believed that Krafft had disrespected and threatened Johnson because she is black, stating, in sum and substance, ‘This is not the 1960s,'” the complaint states.

Apparently, the issue was never addressed, because within just hours of her landing back in the states, she was fired over a conference call.

She says L’Oreal tried to hide “discriminatory and retaliatory motives for firing her.”

Johnson says she was given “communications issues” as one of the reasons for her ultimate dismissal, and that L’Oreal claimed she was not sufficiently present in the office.

Additionally, Johnson said that L’Oreal told her during her dismissal that her use of “expletives during the confrontation with Krafft, the racist and sexist confrontation that Johnson complained to Rada about just weeks before her unlawful firing, was inappropriate, stating, in sum and substances, that L’Oréal will not ‘tolerate executives cursing at one another.'”

Among other instances Johnson cites in her complaint of an overall hostile work environment, she says Rada would “host drunken parties, showing favoritism toward young gay male employees, during business trips. One night in Rome, Johnson said Rada told her togo and flirt’ with a group of young male employees and bring them to Rada’s hotel room.”

Knowing about Rada’s less than appropriate parties in his suite during business trips, Johnson told Rada that she was not comfortable making the request,” said Johnson. “Rada admonished Johnson, stating, ‘You failed‘”.

She says Rada also publicly viewed pornography on his cellphone during a meeting with other executives, ignoring a presentation by one of Johnson’s colleagues.

During the meeting, a female executive whispered to Johnson, ‘Wow, I feel so uncomfortable right now,'” Johnson said.

None of the executives admonished Rada during, or, on information and belief, after, that meeting.”

Johnson also says that despite her alleged treatment and the racial discrimination she faced, the beauty company capitalized on her race.

She assisted the Matrix and Biolage brands as an African American woman to help them understand how better to market professional hair care products to women of color.

Her knowledge and understanding of race in America and attendant cultural sensitivities allowed Matrix and Biolage to sidestep typical communications landmines, i.e. campaigns or projects that might not resonate with, or might even offend, an audience of Americans of color,” the complaint states.

Among the allegations in her suit, beyond claiming racial discrimination and retaliation, she also alleges disability discrimination.

She is suing for all earnings she would have received, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

Johnson also wants L’Oréal to be permanently restrained from such workplace violations, that the company makes sure the effects of such violations do not continue to affect her employment opportunities.

We applaud Amanda Johnson for speaking up and sharing her story. We’re sure it will inspire others to do the same.

On the next page, see L’Oréal’s statement.

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Donovan

Donovan is the CEO and Editor-In-Chief of www.dmfashionbook.com. For all general inquiries please email don@dmfashionbook.com Donovan has a BA in Journalism & Media Studies from the prestigious Rutgers University. He's currently studying entertainment and fashion law.