Marc Jacobs is a brand filled with grunge and glam, and now, allegedly, a sexually exploitative employee.
Former Chief Operating Officer Patrice Lataillade, who was dismissed from the company last year, has filed a lawsuit against Robert Duffy, president of Marc Jacobs International, claiming Duffy made employees both pole dance and look at his personal pornographic material. The lawsuit includes parent company Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy as well.
“Duffy has behaved as if he has no obligation to follow [Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy’s] rules of conduct or the law,” the suit says, as reported by the New York Daily News. “He uses company funds for personal expenses and does not censor what he does.”
The suit claims other employees disagree with Duffy’s practices, including a male who Duffy told to, “go home early and have a drink,” and a female worker who was allegedly told she needed a “thicker skin.”
This comes months after Duffy tweeted a photo of a co-worker shirtless, showing off his tattoo, and one of Marc himself “show[ing] his muschel while sketching.” The former has since been deleted from the Marc Jacobs International Twitter account.
A spokesperson for Marc Jacobs International denied the claims of the lawsuit, saying, “Patrice Lataillade was terminated a CFO and COO of [Marc Jacobs International] for serious matters unrelated to the allegations made in the complaint.”