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A Legitimate Reason to Write: Slut Monkey
The Washington Post reported last week that a former employee for hip-hop magazine The Source successfully sued the editors of the publication for $14.5 million. Kimberly Ossario, the former editor in chief who got shitcanned last year, filed a retaliation lawsuit against the magazine, claiming that she was terminated for complaining about sexual shenanigans at the office. Included in the suit were allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and defamation.
Osorio claimed that one founder, David Scott Mays, repeatedly begged her for sex and that another editor threatened to “knock her upside her fucking head.” The sexual harassment and discrimination suits were thrown out, but the jury upheld the retaliation claim. The jury agreed that Osorio was fired for complaining about a workplace where executives watched porn, smoked doobies, and called females “bitches.” Another of the magazine’s founders, Raymond Scott, also called a journalist an “ugly bitch” and a “slut monkey.”
The attorney for The Source argued that the hostility in the workplace had nothing to do with gender, asserting “They used the ‘fuck’ word, the ‘shit’ word, the ‘damn’ word. It was not a gender-specific conduct whatsoever.”
“I feel like I’ve been vindicated,” said Kimberly Osorio. “Whether it’s hip hop, rock ‘n’ roll or the post office, there’s still laws a company needs to abide by.”
Personally, I just wish that my colleague here at QuizLaw understood the laws on hostile work environment. Following his team’s fantasy football win against my heralded “Cock Reavers” in September, he could be heard around the office claiming to be my “Daddy.” Even more offensive, however, is that when he tokes up, he never shares, declaring that the good stuff is only for “winners” and that I’m his “little bitch.”
Where’s my $14.5 million, huh? Slut monkey.
