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Settlement reached in 'sexually toxic workplace' lawsuits against dealership

Settlement reached in 'sexually toxic workplace' lawsuits against dealership

Two ex-staffers from a Winnipeg car dealership who came forward this summer alleging they were sexually harassed and assaulted at work have reached a settlement with the business they say allowed the attacks to happen.

The lawsuits filed on July 26 and Aug. 4 alleged the two women were subject to a "sexually toxic workplace," have been settled out of court, Winnipeg lawyer Victor Bargen confirmed Thursday.

"It takes some courage even in today's world for people to step forward that makes the resolution of this even more important," Bargen said.

Bargen wouldn't disclose the amount of the two settlements.

The first lawsuit from a former receptionist at Vickar Mitsubishi alleged her boss wrapped a ribbon around her throat, blocked her against an office cabinet until a sexual advance was completed and regularly grabbed and touched her. In one instance, the manager made a gesture referring to how far down her throat a Popsicle could go, the receptionist alleged.

Allegation of hands up dress

The woman alleges the same man ran his hands up her dress to touch her buttocks to see if she was wearing underwear and regularly grabbed her pants and pulled at the waistline of her pants, in addition to talking about her buttocks in public and asking routinely if she was wearing any underwear.

A former finance manager at Vickar Mitsubishi filed the second lawsuit against the dealership, the company's president and the same male boss the receptionist made allegations against in addition to a salesman.

The woman alleged the manager pulled her head toward his penis and wrapped a scarf around her throat to choke her.

She also alleged he touched her unwantedly and blew in her ear in the dealership's showroom.

The same manager also took part in a sexual display carried out by the salesman in which the salesman put his genitals on her work desk while making sexual innuendoes, court documents allege.

Dealership acted quickly: lawyer

Management at the dealership have declined repeated requests from CBC News for an interview however the business's lawyer called the situation "very disturbing."

"We acted quickly to address it," Wayne Onchulenko told CBC in August.

The Manitoba Human Rights Commission declined to tell CBC if it was investigating any complaints about the dealership.

The commission's executive director Isha Khan said in 2016 it received 16 complaints on the basis of sexual harassment.

CBC News has asked Onchulenko for comment about the settlements.

Correction : A previous version of this story said a manager put his genitals on a work desk. In fact, court documents say the manager took part in a sexual display carried out by a salesman in which the salesman put his genitals on a work desk while making sexual innuendoes. (Nov 16, 2017 7:26 PM)