4 days Ago By Erik Pindera
SkipTheDishes and a former employee have denied allegations outlined in a lawsuit in which an ex-account manager says she was sexually assaulted while on a work trip in 2019. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SkipTheDishes and a former employee have denied allegations outlined in a lawsuit in which an ex-account manager says she was sexually assaulted while on a work trip in 2019. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SkipTheDishes and a former employee have denied allegations outlined in a lawsuit in which an ex-account manager says she was sexually assaulted while on a work trip in 2019.
The former employee, who says he was an “enterprise growth executive” at the food delivery firm, denied the allegations in a statement of defence filed this month. His court documents concede the defendant had sexual contact with the plaintiff during the trip, but says it was consensual. “(He) emphatically denies that he, at any time, sexually assaulted, physically, verbally or otherwise abused (the plaintiff), or intentionally committed any wrongful act, battery or assault against (her) or breach any duty to her whatsoever,” reads the December filing.
The plaintiff’s statement of claim, which was filed in September, accuses him of sexual battery and says SkipTheDishes was negligent and breached its duty, among other allegations. The woman, who the is not naming, alleged she was sexually assaulted during a trip to Toronto in February 2019, at a short-term rental apartment paid for by the company. She worked at SkipTheDishes from November 2017 until August 2021, when she resigned.
The plaintiff accused the man of pressuring her to drink and do cocaine with him. She accused him of repeatedly asking her for oral sex before forcing it on her, then raping her while she was asleep. The man’s statement of defence says he knocked on her door to ask if she wanted to socialize.
“The two of them engaged in conversation and throughout the conversation they both consumed alcohol and cocaine. The conversation was very friendly and led to kissing and sexual interactions,” say the defence filings that also allege the woman began to perform oral sex on him. The defence filings claim the two fell asleep in each other’s arms and that “the activities were consensual throughout,” with the woman not indicating anything but consent.
“At one point in the evening, they both woke up and the sexual interaction continued wherein (the plaintiff) was on top of (the defendant) engaging in sexual intercourse,” the defence document says. Statements of defence filed by the former employee and SkipTheDishes say he had no authority over her, though they may have at times collaborated on tasks. She had argued in her statement of claim he had abused his authority over her, alleging he was the director of growth at the company at the time.
He had worked on a sales team that signed accounts, while she worked on the team that managed the accounts, his defence papers say. The plaintiff’s court filing accuses SkipTheDishes of failing to provide a safe workplace, monitor its employees and implement and follow a reasonable sexual harassment policy. The plaintiff claims she was told in June 2019 by a SkipTheDishes human resources official not to formally report the alleged sex assault.
The company didn’t respond to that claim in its defence filings. The official is accused of saying the plaintiff’s own actions during the work trip would be interpreted by the company negatively. The plaintiff made a formal complaint in March 2021.
The male employee was terminated in June 2021, following an investigation by Skip that concluded he had violated company policy on the trip. “The defendant strongly condemned (his) actions following the investigation and acted upon it in a timely manner once the investigation was completed,” reads Skip’s court documents. The male defendant and Skip have filed claims against each other, seeking to be compensated by the other if the court finds in favour of the plaintiff.
SkipTheDishes, which started in Winnipeg in 2012, was acquired by the British company Just Eat at the end of 2016, which went on to merge with the Dutch company, Takeaway.com. It has subsequently acquired other businesses.
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ca Erik Pindera is a reporter for the , mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the in 2020.
. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and .
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Thank you for your support. Erik Pindera is a reporter for the , mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont.
and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the in 2020. . Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism.
Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider .
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement.
