SALINAS, Calif. (AP) -- A 69-year-old woman filed a wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit against a Monterey auto dealer and one of its employees. Velma Evans says she was fired by Stahl Motor Inc. after she repeatedly complained about a male employee who allegedly wore a penis pendant necklace and used a sausage to flash her in a sexual manner.
Auto dealer Bob Stahl declined comment. Employee Kurt Aiken said Monday the allegations are baseless, noting he was merely eating the sausage and wearing a necklace with a religious icon.
Evans was a part-time customer service manager at the dealership for 18 years, according to the lawsuit.
Her troubles began on Dec. 13, 2001, when Aiken called out to her, as he was exposing a sausage through his unbuttoned shirt or unzipped pants, the suit said. She complained to Stahl and Stahl and the employee wrote letters acknowledging the "untoward incident," the suit said.
Aiken wrote that "we fool around in the shop sometimes between the guys and as guys do."
Evans continued to work at the company for more than four years until Aug. 17, 2006, when a customer told her Aiken had joked about the sausage incident and was regularly wearing a necklace with likenesses of a monkey and a penis hanging from it, the suit said.
Evans went to Stahl to say she was embarrassed and humiliated that Aiken would joke about the harassment to a customer. Stahl then allegedly told her to leave.
Auto dealer Bob Stahl declined comment. Employee Kurt Aiken said Monday the allegations are baseless, noting he was merely eating the sausage and wearing a necklace with a religious icon.
Evans was a part-time customer service manager at the dealership for 18 years, according to the lawsuit.
Her troubles began on Dec. 13, 2001, when Aiken called out to her, as he was exposing a sausage through his unbuttoned shirt or unzipped pants, the suit said. She complained to Stahl and Stahl and the employee wrote letters acknowledging the "untoward incident," the suit said.
Aiken wrote that "we fool around in the shop sometimes between the guys and as guys do."
Evans continued to work at the company for more than four years until Aug. 17, 2006, when a customer told her Aiken had joked about the sausage incident and was regularly wearing a necklace with likenesses of a monkey and a penis hanging from it, the suit said.
Evans went to Stahl to say she was embarrassed and humiliated that Aiken would joke about the harassment to a customer. Stahl then allegedly told her to leave.
