Fairfield Resorts Gender Discrimination, Sexual Harassment Class Action

Case name: Patricia Wilson, et al., v. Cendant Corporation, et al.

Filed in: [U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee]

Docket: [Case No.: 3:04-CV-01133]

Case Summary

In December 2004, Sanford Heisler Sharp filed a Class Action Complaint against Cendant Corp. (“Cendant”) and its subsidiary, Fairfield Resorts Inc. (“Fairfield Resorts”) on behalf of current and former female employees, alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation in violation of Title VII of The Civil Rights Act, and Tennessee state law claims including assault, battery, and invasion of privacy.

The Complaint sought compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief.

The Complaint alleged that female employees at Fairfield Nashville’s facility regularly endured a gauntlet of sexual harassment, verbal abuse, physical violence and gender discrimination, and that an all-male managerial staff, led by a salesman who in 2003 pleaded guilty to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, “formed a brotherhood of predators who bonded by terrorizing, intimidating and victimizing female employees at Cendant’s facilities.” The Complaint further alleged that Cendant’s top officials, including those in Human Resources, were aware of the behavior in the Nashville facility but took no action, and even covered up the aforementioned salesman’s illegal activities.

In October 2005, after entering into mediation, the parties reached a settlement in the case awarding more than $5 million to members of the class. In addition, Fairfield agreed to implement internal policies and procedures toward the prevention of sexual and other forms of harassment in its workplace.