HOUSTON — A Harris County woman is suing her former employer, alleging she was sexually assaulted by an employee at her company and then terminated after reporting the incident.
Bernitra Smith filed a complaint March 6 in Harris County District Court against John Bordelon and Clearmycase.com LLC, alleging assault and harassment, negligence, retaliation and gross negligence.
The suit states Smith started working at ClearMyCase.com May 7, 2018, and soon after began to be sexually harassed. According to the complaint, Bordelon a vice principal at Clearlymycase.com, repeatedly made suggestive comments to the plaintiff and event slapped her on the buttocks in front of other employees.
The suit alleges Smith was assigned pet names by Bordelon. One one occasions, the lawsuit states, Bordelon went into the plaintiff's office to look into a computer problem but instead assaulted Smith, grabbing her and trying to bend her over, then forced the plaintiff to go into the supply closet for computer parts.
The suit says the defendant again harassed the plaintiff and made a suggestive comment implying that the she was sexually interested in him.
Smith says she reported the treatment to human resources. The suit says Bordelon then completely ignored the plaintiff until she was fired 1 1/2 weeks later.
Smith seeks trial by jury, damages between $200,000 and $1 million, as well as any other just relief. She is represented by attorneys Matthew M. Marzak and Maverick J. Ray of Maverick Ray & Associates in Houston.
Harris County District Court case number 2019-16620