|
In a complaint filed on Thursday in the Manhattan federal
court, JWT Chief Communications Officer Erin Johnson said
Gustavo Martinez, the agency's worldwide chairman and chief
executive officer since January 2015, "has no hesitation" making
offensive comments, even to senior JWT executives and the media.
J. Walter Thompson, its British-based parent WPP Plc and
Martinez were named as defendants.
Martinez said he was aware of the allegations and would welcome
the opportunity to present more details about the matter during
legal proceedings.
"I want to assure both our clients and my colleagues that I
believe I lead this company with a collaborative and collegial
style and did not create the kind of working environment that
has been described in the complaint," he said in a statement.
WPP said it was aware of the case.
"WPP’s lawyers have been conducting an enquiry into previous
correspondence on these matters since February 25 and have found
nothing, as yet, to substantiate these charges," it said.
Johnson's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
According to its website, JWT's clients include such well-known
companies as Coca-Cola, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Shell
and Wal-Mart.
The website notes Argentina-born Martinez is the first Hispanic
CEO of a global advertising agency, and is a "truly 'global
citizen'" who was raised mainly in Spain, has worked around the
globe and is fluent in five languages.
According to the lawsuit, Johnson joined JWT in 2005. But after
Martinez took over, she has found it "virtually impossible" to
present the agency in a positive light given his behavior.
The lawsuit said Martinez has made "numerous" comments about
rape, once saying in front of other workers that Johnson should
approach him "so I can rape you in the bathroom," and has
complained about women he deemed "too sensitive" or "too bossy."
Martinez was also accused in the lawsuit of once calling some
airport customs agents "black monkeys" and "apes," and
complaining about "too many" Jews in Westchester, the suburban
New York county where he lives.
Johnson also claimed in the lawsuit that Martinez has touched
her inappropriately, and on two occasions bit into an apple she
was eating before returning the apple to her.
The lawsuit said JWT responded to Johnson's repeated complaints
by reducing her pay and responsibilities, before putting her on
paid leave last month.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified back pay, punitive damages and
other remedies.
The case is Johnson v. J. Walter Thompson USA LLC et al, U.S.
District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-01805.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York,; Editing by Dan
Grebler, Greg Mahlich)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
|
