This is the first time a Texas court has held an individual company owner personally liable under 2021 sexual-harassment law. The ruling is the third largest sexual harassment judgment ever in Texas for a single plaintiff.
The ruling is particularly significant because it is the first time an individual Texas business owner or employee has been held personally liable under a new law Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2021, which makes owners, supervisors, and fellow employees personally liable for sexual harassment.
The judgement is attached here. The Court’s Findings of Fact are attached here.
“Texas law now holds employees personally accountable when they sexually harass a fellow employee,” said attorney Rogge Dunn, founder of the Rogge Dunn Group. “This judgment sends a message: Executives and employees who sexually harass employees and then retaliate when those employees stand up for themselves face significant consequences. It’s also noteworthy that victims can sue under the name “Jane Doe” or “John Doe” to protect their identity and privacy.
Dunn’s client who sued under the name Jane Doe stated: “No employee should have to endure the abuse I suffered from a man in a powerful position. I’m pleased that Texas law now provides additional protection to women in the workplace,” Jane Doe said.
The case is Jane Doe v. Robert Lovell, in County Court at Law No. 3, Dallas County, Texas, Cause No. CC-21-05230-C.
Rogge Dunn Group has built a well-deserved reputation for aggressive litigation, outstanding results, and attentive client service. Mr. Dunn has won more than $2 billion net in settlements and verdicts for his clients. In 2020, the National Law Journal awarded the Rogge Dunn Group the “Elite Trial Lawyers Law Firm of the Year for Gender Discrimination.”