Attorney General Nick Brown's office has filed a lawsuit against Jonathan Tagle and his business, Tagle Investments LLC, for a host of grave allegations, including sexual harassment and wage theft at his "bikini barista" coffee stands. The stands in question, known as Paradise Espresso, are situated across King and Snohomish counties, with locations in Tukwila, Monroe, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Tagle, who also manages the day-to-day operations at these establishments, is accused of creating a highly inappropriate work environment for over a period of 12 years. According to the official complaint, the allegations include forcing employees to perform sexual acts for employment, unwanted physical contact, and compelling them to visit his home to provide sexual favors, all under the threat of losing employment or facing retaliation.
Moreover, the claims extend to financial exploitation, where employees were reportedly not paid the mandated minimum wage, and tips were withheld by the accused. “Our team investigation found that the employer broke the law in multiple ways and created a workplace that left his employees stressed and traumatized,” Brown stated, emphasizing the necessity to protect worker rights and the intolerability of demeaning and exploitative treatment, as noted by the Attorney General's Office news release.
The lawsuit also highlights regulatory discrepancies, such as Tagle's failure to maintain a regular pay schedule and not providing paid sick leave, of which the employees were ostensibly unaware they were entitled to. The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, accuses Tagle and his company of infringing upon the Washington Law Against Discrimination and the state's Minimum Wage Act and Wage Rebate Act. The state demands that Tagle's actions be declared unlawful, and seeks to prevent him from continuing his alleged misconduct, compensating the workers for unpaid wages and tips, and covering the cost of the lawsuit as well as additional relief deemed just.
In a move to correct these wrongs, the state asks the court to require Tagle to accord his employees the paid sick leave they missed out on, and to rightfully distribute wages and tips. While the exact figures are unspecified, the lawsuit aims for monetary damages to the affected employees and envisions a more equitable and harassment-free work environment moving forward.
