Lewd boss made to pay, woman wins $95 mn

London: A woman, who was hit on the head by her boss’ penis, has been awarded USD 95 million as compensation in a sexual harassment case against her former employers, and it is believed to be the highest payout ever in America.

Ashley Alford, who is in her mid 20s, won the award from her former employers, Aaron’s of St Louis, after a manager in the furniture and electrical store allegedly attacked her in a stockroom. Prosecutors alleged Richard Moore, who is still awaiting trial, would pinch Alford and make inappropriate comments before the 2006 attack. In court documents, Alford said Moore sought “sexual favours in return for her continued employment, her ability to leave for lunch or take a longer lunch hour and her ability to take a vacation”. Alford claimed the assault came after almost a year of escalating harassment in a work environment, “rife with sexual jokes and lewd propositions”. She testified that in September 2006, Moore grabbed her by her ponytail, unzipped his trousers, pulled her head back and hit her in the head with his penis. On the second occasion, in October 12, 2006, he again hit her on the head with his penis, and he was also said to have held her down on the warehouse floor, lifted her shirt and masturbated until he ejaculated on her. Moore’s semen and DNA were later found on paper towels collected by the police. “From what we can tell, this is the absolute largest sex harassment verdict in the country for an individual plaintiff,” the Daily Mail quoted Alford’s lawyer David Ratner as saying. Despite the massive USD 95 million award, it is understood a federal cap on harassment damages will limit the total to around 41.6 million dollars. ANI