2 female restaurant employees allege sexual harassment

Two female restaurant workers have sewed a restaurant owner, alleging workplace discrimination.

Kimberly Binnion of Wood County and Pamela Howard, a Florida resident, filed a lawsuit March 16 in the Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas against David E. Morris, doing business as Tumbleweed Steakhouse, alleging civil rights violation.

According to the complaint, Binnion was subjected to unwanted verbal and physical harassment from Morris from the start of her employment as a waitress at Tumbleweed Steakhouse, 1103 W. Upshur Ave. in Gladewater. Howard, hired first as a waitress and later general manager, was exposed to similar behavior despite repeated objections, according to the suit.

The suit alleges Morris failed to provide equal work opportunity for females, subjected the plaintiffs to gender discrimination via a hostile working environment and acted in a retaliatory manner when they resisted his advances.

Binnion and Howard allege the defendant intentionally inflicted extreme distress on them and cite damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional pain, suffering and inconvenience, mental anguish, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life.

The plaintiffs seek: actual, compensatory and punitive damages; front and back pay with interest; attorney fees; and expenses and costs. They are represented by attorney William S. Hommel Jr. of Hommel Law Firm in Tyler.

Marshall Division of the Eastern District of Texas case number: 2:15-cv-00379.