Case dismissed by a federal judge
A federal judge has dismissed a harassment lawsuit filed against casino operator Wynn Resorts because the nine plaintiffs opted to remain anonymous in the proceedings.
Nine women filed the lawsuit after alleging they were sexually harassed by former Wynn Resorts founder, chairman, and CEO Steve Wynn. The accusers consisted of manicurists and makeup artists working at a salon in Wynn Las Vegas.
The accusers chose to remain unnamed
The accusers chose to remain unnamed and were to be identified as Judy Does in the legal proceedings. The plaintiffs argued that their anonymity was necessary for a number of reasons; legal retaliation from Steve Wynn, sensitive details being made public and ostracization in the work place.
Judge James C. Mahan chose to dismiss the case because the women could not justify their need to maintain anonymity from a legal standpoint. He also argued that the plaintiffs did not argue their case sufficiently and that the testimonies were too vague.
The details of the case
The plaintiffs first filed the harassment lawsuit in a Nevada court in September 2019 but officials moved this to a federal court a month later. The case relates to allegations made public in 2018 which accused Steve Wynn of sexualizing the work place and pressuring workers to perform sexual acts.
The women made separate discrimination allegations against Wynn Resorts in March 2018 through the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The federal judge dismissed these allegations because the women did not submit them to the court.
Although the case has been dismissed, there is still the option for the women to file the lawsuit again in a different manner.
The aftermath of Wynn allegations
Steve Wynn resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts in February 2018 after allegations of his misconduct in the workplace were made public by a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Wynn Resorts was ordered to pay a $35m fine by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission
As a result of the allegations, Wynn Resorts was ordered to pay a $35m fine by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. After an investigation, the Commission found that the company’s executives had hidden details of sexual misconduct allegations during the bidding process for one of three Wynn casinos in the state.
In November 2019, Steve Wynn was ordered to pay $20m toward a lawsuit settlement. Wynn Resorts demanded the funds from the former casino mogul to pay off a number of shareholder lawsuits against the company. The shareholders argued the company’s board was complicit in Steve Wynn’s misconduct.