NORWICH – Two former Norwich business owners have been ordered to pay an ex-employee $500,000 after subjecting her to “horrendous” sexual harassment, including sexual assault.
Dale Blackwood and Melissa Almonor, former owners of the Quizno’s sandwich shop in Chenango Towne Plaza, were ordered to pay the sum by the state Division of Human Rights after the young woman charged them with unlawful discriminatory conduct in employment.
The girl, who will not be identified due to The Evening Sun’s policy of not identifying victims of sexual assault, was hired at the Norwich shop in September. Blackwood and Almonor were both the owners of the store, the officers of Young Legends LLC, the company that operated the Quizno’s franchise and the day-to-day managers of the restaurant.
In court documents, the young woman describes Blackwood as being “touchy feely” with the female employees. She contends he often made inappropriate comments to them and would discuss personal matters. At least one female employee left the company, and in a written letter to Almonor, cited Blackwood’s inappropriate behavior as the reason.
In October, after several invitations, the young woman accompanied Blackwood to his apartment to see his photography. There, the girl claims, Blackwood sexually assaulted her, despite her attempts to fight him off.
She continued to work at the store because she said she needed the money; however she refused to return to Blackwood’s apartment. According to court documents, in December, Blackwood told the girl he had “purchased a cash register for his home, on which she could learn.” When she refused to go to his apartment, he said he would treat it as if she had quit.
After continuing to receive text messages from Blackwood, the girl had her mother pick her up from school and filed a report with the Norwich Police Department, and while the department investigated the accusations, charges were never filed against Blackwood.
Since the girl could not face Blackwood in criminal court, she filed a suit with the State Division of Human Rights. The administrative law judge who heard the case originally ruled in favor of the girl, ordering Blackwood and Almonor to pay for three months lost wages ($1,218.75) in addition to $25,000 for mental anguish. “Blackwood was complainant’s employer, her supervisor, and the owner of Young Legends, LLC. As such he had authority to hire and fire, and his conduct brings liability both to the corporation for which he acted and to himself personally as owner of the corporation and the direct perpetrator of the discriminatory conduct,” said Administrative Law Judge Christine Marbach Kellett in her ruling. The judge also found Almonor at fault for allowing the conduct to continue, after being informed of Blackwood’s behavior by a former employee.
However, upon review of the case, Human Rights Commissioner Kumiki Gibson increased the award to $500,000, due to the “horrendous” conduct in the case and the mental anguish that it caused. “This supposed manager was more like a sexual predator, targeting and preying upon a teenage girl. This conduct shocks the conscience. This type of despicable conduct is unlawful and will not be tolerated, and victims will be compensated to the fullest extent of the law for the immense harm caused by such wrongdoers,” stated Gibson.
Neither Blackwood nor Almonor could be reached for comment. The local Quizno’s franchise has since closed.