Elite SF club hit with harassment lawsuits after low-wage worker allegedly mocked as hunchback

One of San Francisco’s most exclusive clubs is facing bombshell allegations of harassment and labor violations from two employees, including demeaning slurs about a disabled dishwasher’s genitals and unwanted groping.Rene Panti, a dishwasher since 2021 at The Battery, the elite invite-only club frequented by politicians and celebrities, alleged in his lawsuit that he was berated weekly for three years by co-workers with discriminatory slurs, which management did little about besides asking staff to “stay professional.”The dishwasher was taunted as “hunchback” and “useless” due to his spinal condition, according to the lawsuit, and one coworker even said “your penis doesn’t work anymore.”Panti has congenital scoliosis, which is curvature of the spine.He and another worker filed separate lawsuits against The Battery within the last two weeks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, seeking unspecified damages for emotional distress and lost wages, among other penalties such as mandatory workplace training.The alleged verbal harassment escalated to physical harassment last year, said Panti, when coworkers would put their hands on his back despite him asking them not to.

In one instance, he said his nipples were pinched.In addition, the dishwasher alleged he was placed on leave for a month due to his disability, resulting in lost pay.When Panti asked for a promotion again in 2022, the chef allegedly began to treat him with hostility, such as assigning excessive workloads, permitting the coworkers’ harassment and denying him breaks.Reports to human resources resulted in no discipline, Panti alleged.The lack of promotions seems to be a key complaint for Panti, whose lawsuit claimed was specifically due to his disability.

He was allegedly directly told by a manager that he “will never be promoted to work at the bar because your physical appearance does not conform to the standards of the company.”“We are confident that every allegation in the ...