Toyota hit w/ sexual harassment lawsuit
05-02-06, 09:39 PM
#1
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Toyota hit w/ sexual harassment lawsuit
Link to Reuters
DETROIT, May 2 (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) employee has filed a $190 million lawsuit charging that the auto maker's top U.S. executive sexually harassed her and other executives failed to act on her complaints.
In the lawsuit filed in New York state court, Sayaka Kobayashi, 42, said Toyota North America Chief Executive Hideaki Otaka, 65, made repeated sexual advances toward her in 2005 when she was working as his assistant in New York.
"Toyota has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards sexual harassment at all levels within the company and takes any allegations of this nature very seriously," Toyota said in a statement, declining any further comment.
Kobayashi, an employee in the company's corporate planning unit who was hired in the United States in 1997, was asked to become Otaka's assistant in March 2005, according to the lawsuit.
"Rather than the step forward for her career that she had hoped, the position has turned into a personal nightmare for Ms. Kobayashi," the lawsuit said.
Over the next few months, Otaka repeatedly asked Kobayashi to accompany him to lunches, walks in Central Park and on business trips, where he tried to engage in sexual conduct with her, according to the suit.
The lawsuit says Toyota should have known Otaka had a "reputation of abusing positions of authority within Toyota Japan by repeatedly engaging in or attempting to engage in extra-marital sexual relationships".
Kobayashi's suit names Toyota and Otaka as defendants and seeks $40 million for injury to her career, emotional distress and negligent hiring, plus $150 million in punitive damages.
The lawsuit said Toyota's employee handbook, to which Otaka wrote the introduction, says any employee found guilty of sexual harassment faces disciplinary action, including possible termination.
Otaka is scheduled to become an auditor at Toyota affiliate Daihatsu Motor Co. (7262.T: Quote, Profile, Research) in Japan starting in June.
According to her lawsuit, Kobayashi e-mailed a complaint to Toyota's second highest-ranking U.S. executive in December 2005, detailing her claims of harassment and her concern that she might be denied a promotion if she angered Otaka.
The lawsuit said the executive, Dennis Cuneo, told Kobayashi he would make up a story suggesting that Kobayashi's boyfriend was complaining about Otaka's behavior "in order to avoid upsetting Otaka".
Cuneo then sent Kobayashi an e-mail saying it would be necessary for her to confront Otaka alone to discuss her concerns, the lawsuit said.
During that meeting, Otaka told Kobayashi that she "lacked quality" and had not been sufficiently grateful for his attempts to help her in her career, the lawsuit said.
Later in the same month, Toyota changed reporting lines at its New York office so that the company's general counsel, Alan Cohen, became Kobayashi's new supervisor, the lawsuit said.
In early January, the lawsuit said, Cohen presented Kobayashi with several "options", including taking an unspecified sum of money to leave the company.
"At no point did Mr. Cohen or any other employee of Toyota Motor North America report that an actual investigation of (Kobayashi's) complaint occurred or the findings of any such investigation," the lawsuit states.
Kobayashi's attorney said the auto maker and Otaka were served with the complaint on Tuesday. Kobayashi is on medical leave from Toyota.
Toyota has faced scrutiny over its treatment of women in the workplace in the past.
In 2000, a logistics unit of Toyota and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Agency agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that hiring practices at a New Jersey facility discriminated against women and blacks. (Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo)
DETROIT, May 2 (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) employee has filed a $190 million lawsuit charging that the auto maker's top U.S. executive sexually harassed her and other executives failed to act on her complaints.
In the lawsuit filed in New York state court, Sayaka Kobayashi, 42, said Toyota North America Chief Executive Hideaki Otaka, 65, made repeated sexual advances toward her in 2005 when she was working as his assistant in New York.
"Toyota has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards sexual harassment at all levels within the company and takes any allegations of this nature very seriously," Toyota said in a statement, declining any further comment.
Kobayashi, an employee in the company's corporate planning unit who was hired in the United States in 1997, was asked to become Otaka's assistant in March 2005, according to the lawsuit.
"Rather than the step forward for her career that she had hoped, the position has turned into a personal nightmare for Ms. Kobayashi," the lawsuit said.
Over the next few months, Otaka repeatedly asked Kobayashi to accompany him to lunches, walks in Central Park and on business trips, where he tried to engage in sexual conduct with her, according to the suit.
The lawsuit says Toyota should have known Otaka had a "reputation of abusing positions of authority within Toyota Japan by repeatedly engaging in or attempting to engage in extra-marital sexual relationships".
Kobayashi's suit names Toyota and Otaka as defendants and seeks $40 million for injury to her career, emotional distress and negligent hiring, plus $150 million in punitive damages.
The lawsuit said Toyota's employee handbook, to which Otaka wrote the introduction, says any employee found guilty of sexual harassment faces disciplinary action, including possible termination.
Otaka is scheduled to become an auditor at Toyota affiliate Daihatsu Motor Co. (7262.T: Quote, Profile, Research) in Japan starting in June.
According to her lawsuit, Kobayashi e-mailed a complaint to Toyota's second highest-ranking U.S. executive in December 2005, detailing her claims of harassment and her concern that she might be denied a promotion if she angered Otaka.
The lawsuit said the executive, Dennis Cuneo, told Kobayashi he would make up a story suggesting that Kobayashi's boyfriend was complaining about Otaka's behavior "in order to avoid upsetting Otaka".
Cuneo then sent Kobayashi an e-mail saying it would be necessary for her to confront Otaka alone to discuss her concerns, the lawsuit said.
During that meeting, Otaka told Kobayashi that she "lacked quality" and had not been sufficiently grateful for his attempts to help her in her career, the lawsuit said.
Later in the same month, Toyota changed reporting lines at its New York office so that the company's general counsel, Alan Cohen, became Kobayashi's new supervisor, the lawsuit said.
In early January, the lawsuit said, Cohen presented Kobayashi with several "options", including taking an unspecified sum of money to leave the company.
"At no point did Mr. Cohen or any other employee of Toyota Motor North America report that an actual investigation of (Kobayashi's) complaint occurred or the findings of any such investigation," the lawsuit states.
Kobayashi's attorney said the auto maker and Otaka were served with the complaint on Tuesday. Kobayashi is on medical leave from Toyota.
Toyota has faced scrutiny over its treatment of women in the workplace in the past.
In 2000, a logistics unit of Toyota and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Agency agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that hiring practices at a New Jersey facility discriminated against women and blacks. (Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo)
05-02-06, 10:37 PM
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05-03-06, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by genearch
.
The $$ amounts they are talking seem a bit extreme..
The $$ amounts they are talking seem a bit extreme..
I f'ing HATE our law system. What a joke. $40 mil for damage to her career?? That's more than she could hope to make in 10 lifetimes. $150 mil punitive?
Gotta love greed, people.
05-03-06, 02:16 AM
#6
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She better hope he is found guilty...she may leave herself wide open for a defamation-of-character counter-suit if he isn't.
And I agree...the amount she is suing for is excessive and pure greed, but she probably won't get the whole amount if the jury is able to adjust it.
( not always possible...it varies with state law ).
And I agree...the amount she is suing for is excessive and pure greed, but she probably won't get the whole amount if the jury is able to adjust it.
( not always possible...it varies with state law ).
05-03-06, 04:34 AM
#7
Originally Posted by mmarshall
She better hope he is found guilty...she may leave herself wide open for a defamation-of-character counter-suit if he isn't.
And I agree...the amount she is suing for is excessive and pure greed, but she probably won't get the whole amount if the jury is able to adjust it.
( not always possible...it varies with state law ).
And I agree...the amount she is suing for is excessive and pure greed, but she probably won't get the whole amount if the jury is able to adjust it.
( not always possible...it varies with state law ).
However by suing for so much money, it gives impression that there is a lot of greed involved.
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05-03-06, 06:21 AM
#8
Super Moderator
Recall . . .
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Toyota exec sued by ex-aide
N. American head may return to Japan after his assistant alleges sexual harassment.
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Hideaki Otaka
Toyota Motor Corp. may recall one of its highest-ranking North American executives to Japan after a former female aide filed a lawsuit against him Tuesday for sexual harassment.
The Japanese automaker is considering transferring Hideaki Otaka, president of New York-based Toyota North America, to a job as a corporate auditor at Toyota's minicar subsidiary Daihatsu, a company source said.
The person said Otaka's possible reassignment was unrelated to the suit filed in New York by his former assistant.
Sayaka Kobayashi, a Japanese citizen and Eastern Michigan graduate with U.S. resident status, is seeking more than $190 million, including at least $150 million in punitive damages. She alleges that Otaka, 65, groped and harassed her over four months last year when she was his executive assistant.
"She was under a tremendous amount of stress, and that manifested itself in both her mental state and physical state," said Christopher Brennan, an attorney at the New York City law firm Ziegler, Ziegler & Associates.
Kobayashi, 42, also sued the company, charging that Toyota officials failed to investigate her complaints even though Toyota North America has a strict policy against harassment.
"She was moved out of her position, while Mr. Otaka was permitted to remain where he was," Brennan said. "It was as if she had done something wrong."
Toyota declined to comment on the suit. But the company issued a statement saying: "Toyota has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards sexual harassment at all levels within the company and takes any allegations of this nature very seriously."
Brennan would not say whether negotiations were under way to reach a settlement.
In the suit, Kobayashi alleged that Otaka assigned her to report directly to him last August and starting requiring her to accompany him on business trips where he made unwelcome advances.
He sent her flowers and jewelry, ignoring her protestations.
Once during a walk through Central Park, "defendant Otaka suddenly grabbed plaintiff's body and forcibly attempted to engage in sexual contact with her," the suit alleges.
At a dinner party last October attended by Toyota colleagues and spouses, Otaka talked about which breakfast cereals he liked.
"My number one favorite is Sayaka, then Kellogg's corn flakes," he said, according to the suit.
Otaka has been with Toyota since 1965. Kobayashi was hired in 1997 by the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor and transferred to the company's corporate planning office in New York in
Toyota exec sued by ex-aide
N. American head may return to Japan after his assistant alleges sexual harassment.
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Hideaki Otaka
Toyota Motor Corp. may recall one of its highest-ranking North American executives to Japan after a former female aide filed a lawsuit against him Tuesday for sexual harassment.
The Japanese automaker is considering transferring Hideaki Otaka, president of New York-based Toyota North America, to a job as a corporate auditor at Toyota's minicar subsidiary Daihatsu, a company source said.
The person said Otaka's possible reassignment was unrelated to the suit filed in New York by his former assistant.
Sayaka Kobayashi, a Japanese citizen and Eastern Michigan graduate with U.S. resident status, is seeking more than $190 million, including at least $150 million in punitive damages. She alleges that Otaka, 65, groped and harassed her over four months last year when she was his executive assistant.
"She was under a tremendous amount of stress, and that manifested itself in both her mental state and physical state," said Christopher Brennan, an attorney at the New York City law firm Ziegler, Ziegler & Associates.
Kobayashi, 42, also sued the company, charging that Toyota officials failed to investigate her complaints even though Toyota North America has a strict policy against harassment.
"She was moved out of her position, while Mr. Otaka was permitted to remain where he was," Brennan said. "It was as if she had done something wrong."
Toyota declined to comment on the suit. But the company issued a statement saying: "Toyota has a 'zero tolerance' policy towards sexual harassment at all levels within the company and takes any allegations of this nature very seriously."
Brennan would not say whether negotiations were under way to reach a settlement.
In the suit, Kobayashi alleged that Otaka assigned her to report directly to him last August and starting requiring her to accompany him on business trips where he made unwelcome advances.
He sent her flowers and jewelry, ignoring her protestations.
Once during a walk through Central Park, "defendant Otaka suddenly grabbed plaintiff's body and forcibly attempted to engage in sexual contact with her," the suit alleges.
At a dinner party last October attended by Toyota colleagues and spouses, Otaka talked about which breakfast cereals he liked.
"My number one favorite is Sayaka, then Kellogg's corn flakes," he said, according to the suit.
Otaka has been with Toyota since 1965. Kobayashi was hired in 1997 by the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor and transferred to the company's corporate planning office in New York in
05-03-06, 07:00 AM
#10
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Seems like all the bad news about Toyota are reported from Detroit... interesting.
05-03-06, 08:08 AM
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I don't know, you should ask Clinton the same question.
05-03-06, 09:26 AM
#14
Super Moderator
It's really amazing south of the border where I live. I was shocked when I first learned that when a man wants a secretary (this is still a very masculine-dominated society), he wants to see a photo, know if she is married, has children, how old, dimensions. Technically, all of this is illegal under largely unenforced Mexican law and the woman will almost always comply since if they don't they will have a long time looking for a job.
05-03-06, 10:17 AM
#15
Originally Posted by genearch
Yeah.. that is what the judge/jury should do.. look at her picture and make a ruling based upon her looks...