AMHERST, N.Y. — More women have come forward with stories of alleged sexual harassment by the owner of the Protocol Restaurant in Amherst.
That new information coming from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed a civil lawsuit against the restaurant, claiming the owner created a hostile work environment for female employees.
The EEOC says more women and more witnesses are corroborating the alleged sexual harassment accusations against Protocol owner Paul Pelczynski, just one day after the commission filed a lawsuit against the restaurant.
"A lot of people are responding to the publicity about this case saying this happened to me too. This has been going on for many many years," said Elizabeth Fox-Solomon, an attorney for the EEOC.
The EEOC says the case started this year when a woman who had been a bartender at Protocol filed a discrimination charge with the commission, claiming Pelczynski made unwanted sexual advances to her and then fired her a year ago.
"Here we found reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred," Fox-Solomon said.
The EEOC says it tried to settle with the restaurant and when it couldn't, it filed the lawsuit.
The suit claims the bartender and several other women who worked at Protocol over a three year period dealt with inappropriate behavior from Pelczynski, including asking female employees for sex, unwanted touching and kissing, and telling female workers that they should dress sexier.
The lawsuit also claims Pelczynski sent a group text to employees with porn in the background.
REPORTER: How many more additional alleged victim have come forward?
"It's hard to estimate because I'm still getting calls and emails, at least three or four, possibly five so far," Fox-Solomon said.
A lawyer representing protocol calls the suit a publicity stunt.
"I'm a little surprised that the EEOC put out a press release and then filed a complaint that is ridiculous, its vague and irresponsible," said Robert Boreanaz, a local defense attorney.
He says the restaurant has employed more than a thousand people through its 40 years of doing business.
"And this is the very first occasion there's been a complaint of this nature," Boreanaz said. "We certainly plan and will vigorously defend the case."
The lawsuit claims that employees have quit from Protocol saying there was a hostile work environment, and it's trying to get damages for alleged victims.
2 On Your Side spoke briefly to Pelczynski, to see if he wanted to respond to the accusations personally, he deferred all comments to his attorney.
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