Among three mortgage employment lawsuits is one against a Chicago lender alleging sexual harassment. Another case against a Washington lender alleges a smear campaign against a former executive.
In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Chicago by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Tamayo Financial Services Inc. is accused of regularly subjecting female employees to obscene remarks and sexual advances, according to an Oct. 1 news release from the agency. The case was filed only after voluntarily efforts to resolve the matter through the agency’s statutory conciliation process failed.
Tamayo, which reportedly operates four Chicago-area offices, didn’t immediately respond to a request for a statement.
“Our administrative investigation revealed that numerous men employed at Tamayo, including the higher-ups, were part of continuous and widespread harassment of women,” the EEOC stated. “They allegedly referred to women with sexual epithets, engaged in threatening physical and verbal sexual conduct and ignored repeated complaints.”
Another employment lawsuit was filed against Legacy Group Lending Inc. in King County Superior Court in Washington by Brett Green, according to a copy of the complaint provided by Green’s attorney, Greg Murphy. Green reportedly started with Legacy in September 2007, loaned the company and an affiliate $90,000 and subsequently invested another $100,000.
Last year, Green claims he voiced concerns about how Legacy misled state regulators about using unregistered originators. The company subsequently put the unregistered individual in charge of the office and additionally stripped Green of his supervisory at another office.
He was fired in May for no good reason and never paid salary and profits as required in his employment contract, according to the complaint. Legacy hired county sheriffs to stand watch and make sure Green didn’t enter the premises — which he had an ownership interest in.
The plaintiff alleges Legacy “engaged in a systematic campaign to defame him within the Kitsap County business community so that he could not compete with Legacy in the future.” The alleged smear campaign focused on Green’s investment in failed Westsound Bank — his former employer.
Rumors began circulating that Green had been stealing from the company, was arrested and was taken away in handcuffs. The source of the rumors, according to the lawsuit, were Legacy employees.
Green claims Legacy terminated him in order to avoid paying him his share of his office’s profits. The Bellevue, Wash.-based company broadcasted “false allegations of his arrest” in an attempt to destroy Green’s professional reputation.
Legacy didn’t immediately respond to a request for a statement.
Bank of America Corp. reached a settlement with the former head of Merrill Lynch & Co.’s brokerage unit, Robert McCann, over its alleged obstruction of McCann’s attempt to join UBS and head its brokerage, The American Lawyer reported.
EEOC v. Tomayo Financial Services Inc.
Case No. 09-CV-06094, Sept. 30, 2009 (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois).
Brett T. Green, Plaintiff, vs. Legacy Group Lending Inc., a Washington profit corporation; Legacy Group Capital LLC, a Washington Limited Liability Company; Scott R. Rerucha, individually and the marital community composed of Scott and Mary Jo Rerucha; and Does 1-20, inclusive.
(Superior Court of the State of Washington in and for the County of King).
