A former production director of Gretchen Scott LLC has sued the Pelham women”™s apparel maker for $1.85 million for firing her.
Olivia Marino-Myers, of Nutley, New Jersey, accuses the company and founder-owner Gretchen Scott of harassment and discrimination, in an April 21 complaint filed in U.S. District Court in White Plains.
She was induced to join the company, Marino-Myers claims, and “bring valuable manufacturing contacts and know-how,” and then the company “violated their promises” and fired her.
“This is a crazy lawsuit,” Scott, of Bronxville, said in a brief telephone interview. “The big problem was she didn”™t come to work. She had a 14% absentee rate.”
Gretchen Scott LLC”™s clothing and accessories employ vibrant colors and complex patterns, and the words of its mantra ”“ laugh more, gripe less, ignore critics, say yes, order dessert, love life ”“ are sewn into its products.
The company states that it donates all of its sales to charities, such as the Children”™s Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Marino-Myers claims she rejected two other job offers to join the company in January 2019 as senior production director at $150,000 a year. She brought 15 years of experience, including contacts with factories and mills in China and India and an understanding of how overseas apparel manufacturing works.
She was recently divorced and was raising two young children. Part of the deal, according to the complaint, was “commute time flexibility,” so she could drop her children off at school and make the 90-minute drive to work.
Marino-Myers claims she excelled at her job but faced a hostile work environment.
Scott allegedly belittled her marital status in front of colleagues, asking, for instance, “What went wrong with your ex-husband,” and probing her financial support.
Marino-Myers says she was forced to model the company”™s clothing and then criticized in front of the staff as having “back fat.”
She claims that Scott directed her to use graphic sexual terms with male vendors, for instance, telling one that he did not have “big enough balls,” and another that he was lousy in bed.
In February 2019 her pay was docked for a full day, according to the lawsuit, because schools were closed due to a heavy snowstorm and she worked from home. She was allegedly criticized for arriving at the office after 9 a.m., despite the promise of commute time flexibility and even though another senior manager was allowed to come and go as he pleased.
In April 2019, the complaint states, she was pressured to return to work after two days off for nasal surgery and recovery. She contracted an infection and had to take off another day.
Days later and less than three months after she was hired, she was fired for missing too much work. Scott allegedly told her that the company “needs someone healthy.”
Marino-Myers claims she was fired because she had complained about the work environment.
She filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and this past January the agency issued a Notice of Right to Sue.
Marino-Myers accuses the company of retaliation on the basis of sex, by discriminating against her as a divorced woman caring for young children; discrimination on the basis of disability because of health issues; and fraudulent inducement. She charges the company and Scott with discrimination and retaliation under the New York human rights law.
“She”™s a disgruntled employee,” Scott said.
“I don”™t think we want to settle this in public. We”™ll let the courts decide. That makes more sense, especially when the facts are so clear and we have all the records and she”™s making up stuff.”
Marino-Myers is represented by Manhattan attorneys Mark H. Moore and Elizabeth V. Stork.
