Doreen Alderman, Kelsey Grammer’s First Wife Accused of Sexually Harassing Building Manager
New York, NY– Doreen Alderman, the first of Kelsey Grammer’s four wives, is being sued by the superintendent of an apartment building that she owns in the East Village, who alleges she has been sexually harassing him for years.
Ronald Britt was hired by Alderman in 2007 to maintain the apartment building she purchased on East Third Street, claims in a lawsuit filed in July that he was subjected to quid pro quo harassment from his boss after he ended seven-month affair, according to the New York Post.
In his lawsuit, Britt, 55, said that Alderman’s initial advances were “unwanted and unsolicited,” but he eventually gave into her demands out of fear he would lose his job and his apartment.
“During the course of this time, Ms. Alderman’s sexual demands on [Britt] increases as she surprised him by flying in from California unannounced,” court papers said, per the Post.
After having a tryst with Alderman, Britt went to meet some friends at bar. While he was out, Doreen repeatedly texted and called him. Frustrated, Britt returned to her apartment where he informed her affair was over and told her he was “not property.”
Soon after ending Britt ended the affair, Alderman began to verbally harass her former lover. According to the Post, Alderman insulted him, cut his pay while placing more demands on him. After months of insults and demands, Britt was fired this past summer.
Britt told the Post, “I’m tired of being bullied.”
He is seeking unspecified damages.
Alderman has not commented on the lawsuit.
Quid pro quo, which means this for that, is the most commonly recognized form of sexual harassment. It is an abuse of power where the person in a high position offers an employee favors, such as pay raises, days off, promotions and job security in exchange for sexual favors. Employees who don’t comply with their bosses demands face further harassment or the prospect of losing their jobs.
Victims of quid pro quo harassment often find themselves submitting to their boss’s demands for months or even years on end. Last year, the personal assistant for the CEO of Waffle House alleged she was forced to meet her boss’s sexual demands for at least 10 years. The woman said that she regularly protested his demands, but submitted because as a single mother she needed the job. It took her ten years to have the courage to speak up and complain about the years of harassment she was forced to endure.
No one should have to submit to any type of sexual harassment in order to keep their jobs, and no one should lose their job if they file a formal complaint of harassment. Despite the laws that protect employees from sexual harassment and discrimination, thousands of people each year are subjected to this misconduct each year. With the help of a sexual harassment attorney, men and women who are victimized by a coworker or boss can end the harassment and seek compensation for their emotional duress and lost wages.
