Former Comcast retail employee David Figueroa has sued after alleging a Plainville, Connecticut store manager ordered monthly public "pieings" of low-performing staff, tying them to chairs and smashing cream pies into their faces while recording the incidents. Figueroa says he witnessed a coworker, Ty, being pied in February, reported the conduct to a regional manager and later resigned on February 27, calling his departure a constructive discharge. Comcast says it has "zero tolerance" for harassment and will contest the complaint in court. The lawsuit seeks damages including emotional distress, lost pay and attorneys' fees.
Lawsuit: Connecticut Comcast Manager Allegedly Ordered Coworkers to Smash Cream Pies into Low Performers' Faces
Comcast boss made subordinates smash cream pies in faces of low-performing coworkers, lawsuit says
A former employee has sued Comcast after alleging a Plainville, Connecticut store manager directed monthly public humiliations in which underperforming staff were tied to chairs and hit with cream pies.
In a civil complaint filed in Meriden Superior Court and reviewed by The Independent, plaintiff David Figueroa describes a practice he says was treated as a store "policy": the top sales consultant of the prior month was allegedly instructed by the store manager to tie the lowest-ranked consultant to a chair in the back office and have a colleague smash a cream pie into that person’s face. The incidents were reportedly videotaped.
A Comcast employee in Connecticut has revealed a slew of disturbing allegations in a new lawsuit, including a monthly occurrence during which low-performing workers were allegedly assaulted with cream pies to the face (Getty Images)
What the Lawsuit Alleges
Figueroa says he witnessed one such "pieing" in February, when a coworker identified as Ty was hit after producing poor sales numbers. The complaint states the coworker who struck Ty had better sales results and was ordered by the manager to assault the lower-performing employee in front of peers.
"Defendant did not inform [Figueroa] prior to his acceptance of Defendant's offer of employment that the Comcast Store has a policy of subjecting Retail Sales Consultants to public assaults by co-workers at the direction of… the store manager—for the purpose of increasing Defendant's sales and profitability," the complaint says.
Reporting, Resignation and Legal Claims
According to the filing, Figueroa started at the Plainville store on February 2. After witnessing the pieing, he reported the conduct to his regional manager and was asked to memorialize his concerns in a text message; the complaint says he received no response. Figueroa resigned on February 27, describing his departure as a "constructive discharge" caused by a hostile and violent work environment.
A former Comcast employee in Connecticut claims in a new lawsuit that his manager used pies to punish employees (Creative Commons)
The complaint accuses the store of maintaining a public chart ranking sales staff and listing employees who "either had been recently assaulted or were scheduled to be assaulted in this way." It describes the practice as evidence of "reckless indifference to the rights of others or an intentional violation of those rights."
Company Response and Relief Sought
A Comcast spokesperson told The Independent: "The Company has zero tolerance for harassment, humiliation or any behavior that compromises a respectful and safe workplace. This matter is in litigation so we will not comment on the specific allegations, other than to say that we disagree with the claims in the complaint and its characterization of the alleged events, and intend to fully respond through the legal process."
Figueroa seeks compensatory and emotional-distress damages, damages for reputational harm and loss of enjoyment of life, back pay and front pay, and attorneys' fees.
Note: These are allegations contained in a civil complaint. Comcast disputes the claims and the matter is pending in court.
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