A second lawsuit has been filed against Alpine Country Club and its food and beverage director, claiming a hostile work environment and harassment against female employees.
Dionne Boney said Hannibal Campa would often make offensive jokes about her body, telling her he liked her buttocks and their shape. He also made racist comments that she was working at the club only “to find a rich white man” or a “sugar daddy” and that he “could not believe she got so far coming from the hood,” the suit states.
Boney, who is Black, is the second former employee to file suit against the country club and Campa. Makayla Spruill filed a similar lawsuit against the club and Campa in December, saying she was also groped by him and subjected to comments about her body and race.
Both complaints allege the country club’s human resources department failed to respond to written complaints about Campa’s harassment, did not investigate the allegations and refused to take action, leading the women to resign from their positions.
Boney and Spruill’s attorney, John Zidziunas, said these lawsuits “expose a pattern and practice of the discriminatory conduct by the defendants and by human resources in their gross neglect in responding and stopping these issues.”
Alpine Country Club’s attorney John Tratnyek did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
Boney was hired at Alpine Country Club in March 2021 to train new bartenders, do inventory and oversee the bar during events. The suit says Boney had the respect of members and guests, who often told management how they “loved and valued her.” Boney said she believed she would be getting a raise because of her efforts at the club, but everything changed when Campa was made the new food and beverage director.
The lawsuit contends that Campa used his position of power to take advantage of the female employees, and that he would often joke about how “hot” the women looked in their work clothes. Boney said Campa would leer at her and touch the younger employees.
Spruill told Boney she was being harassed and verbally and physically assaulted by Campa and that she was afraid to complain to human resources for fear of being fired, the suit states.
In June, Boney emailed human resources to complain about Campa’s mistreatment of staff and inappropriate comments. She made an additional complaint against the chef, who she said yells and curses at the staff on a regular basis. The suit says other female employees filed written complaints about the food and drink director’s behavior.
According to the suit, Boney was shocked at the club’s lack of inaction. She said despite repeated requests to be promoted and fairly compensated for her work, the club refused to promote her, and she felt that it was because of her skin color and the complaints she made against her supervisor. She resigned in August.
“[Human resources] did nothing to end and abate, did nothing to stop the harm from further occurring,” Zidziunas said.
He said it was troubling that the department didn’t bother to look into the alleged incidents, do interviews or get feedback.
“You think this wouldn’t happen in 2023,” Zidziunas said.
Boney is seeking a trial by jury and damages.
Originally published on northjersey.com by Kaitlyn Kanzler.