LOS ANGELES– LAWFUEL – Litigation Announcements–Late yesterday afternoon, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Alarcon declared a mistrial in Remy Jimenez’ civil suit for sexual battery and sexual harassment against retired Dole Asia Senior Vice President for Manufacturing and Logistics, Felipe Dabdoub. Issues in which the jury did find on behalf of Ms. Jimenez included the Defendant’s failure to pay her a minimum wage and that her acceptance of monies for Defendant’s admitted sexual misconduct was not tantamount to extortion. Although the jury found substantially on behalf of the Plaintiff on her contentions of invasion of privacy, sexual harassment and sexual assault, it did not reach a 9-3 majority and the case will be re-tried on these issues.
A new trial date will be set by the court on Friday. The trial began on October 9, 2007 and the case went to the jury on November 14, 2007. Remy Jimenez is represented by Browne Greene with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP and Douglas N. Silverstein and Brian Kesluk with the Los Angeles, CA. law firm of Kesluk & Silverstein, P.C. Remy Jimenez vs. Felipe Dabdoub, Case No. BC340236.
“Remy Jimenez’ lawsuit is about modern day slavery in America,” stated Browne Greene. “It is one of the rare cases raising the ugly topic of enslaved domestic workers that has actually gone to trial unlike so many others which have settled out of court in order to avoid public scrutiny. Remy has not taken the quiet way out. She has bravely stood up for her rights through our civil justice system. We appreciate the jury’s efforts as evidenced by its finding substantially in her favor. Now, we move forward in what we anticipate will be a quick, successful retrial on the remaining issues, giving Remy Jimenez her day in court once and for all.”
In 1992, Remy Jimenez (now age 41 and originally from Mindanao) was hired by the Dabdoubs as a nanny for their newborn child to work in the Dabdoub home, which at that time was in the Philippines where Felipe Dabdoub was employed as a Senior Vice President for Dole Foods. She was the live-in nanny and housekeeper for the Dabdoubs over the approximately 13 years of her employment with them, and was the primary care-giver for the Dabdoubs’ three children.
In 2001, Felipe Dabdoub was transferred to Dole’s headquarters in Westlake Village, CA. and Ms. Jimenez moved to the United States with the family. Ms. Jimenez alleged that throughout her employment, Felipe Dabdoub repeatedly raped, sexually assaulted and molested her, and threatened that if she told anyone about what happened, something bad would happen to her, she would be arrested, and he would see to it that she would never see her family again. He also used Remy’s love and sense of duty to his children to compel her not to report his alleged unlawful conduct.
Editor’s Note
Plaintiff Remy Jimenez is represented by Browne Greene with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP (www.greene-broillet.com); Tel: 310.576.1200; and Douglas N. Silverstein and Brian Kesluk with the Los Angeles, CA. law firm of Kesluk & Silverstein, P.C. (www.californialaborlawattorney.com): Tel: 310.273.3180.
Defendants Felipe and Evelyn Dabdoub are represented by John L. Barber with the Los Angeles, CA. office of Lewis Brisbois; Tel: 213.250.1800.
