• 17
  • August
    2010

The final award was a little lower than she had hoped, but Julie Crouch has to be happy with last week's ruling in her case against Playboy TV and a former colleague. After just over a day of deliberation, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Crouch nearly $200,000 for verbal and sexual harassment at the hands of Charles Dorn while the two were master control operators at Playboy TV.

Of that money, $182,500 came from Playboy Entertainment Group Inc., which jurors felt could have done more to stop the harassment.

In her lawsuit, Crouch alleged severe emotional distress while on the job, as well ongoing post-traumatic stress disorder after leaving. She also claimed disability harassment following a period in which she was on medical leave for back surgery and complications with her breast implants.

While Playboy acknowledges that Dorn was reprimanded during Crouch's time at Playboy TV, representatives were unable to show that enough had been done to truly discourage him from engaging in verbal abuse.

In addition to a penchant for profanity, Crouch claimed that Dorn referred to her as a "whore" and a "slut." He once became so heated in his insults that he ended up spitting on her. He also claimed repeatedly that men were far superior to women.  

A married mother of four, it would have been easy for Crouch to justify staying quiet in order to keep her job. However, even with the intensely hostile environment, she made the decision to stand up for herself. Last week, her decision was vindicated.

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