The Dov Puts Halt To "Sex Slave" Lawsuit (For Now)

American Apparel employees be warned: if you want to go in front of a judge and bring up that an X-rated visit you paid The Dov, don't sign that legal thingamajig the company hands you upon your departure. Former AA employee Irene Morales filed a $260 million lawsuit against Dov Charney this week, claiming he held her captive in his Manhattan apartment once she turned 18, and forced her to perform sexual acts, and then subjected her to eight more "anguished months of forced sex." Even if this is true, however, Morales signed an agreement when she left the company stating she would not sue, and gave "a full release of claims and an agreement to submit any future claims to confidential binding arbitration."

Charney's lawyer, Stuart Slotnick, claims Morales had "made a number of extortion-like threats to expose the company to a threatened avalanche of litigation and negative publicity." Now as she attempts to do just that, Team American Apparel has delivered her signed documents to court and asked them to sanction Morales for illegal conduct. The company has not, however, disputed her claims.

According to the NY Post, a Brooklyn judge has put a temporary halt on the suit and ordered a hearing on whether it should be permanently stayed. Morales' lawyer claims the agreement his client signed is "improper and unenforceable."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on March 10, 2011 10:44 AM

Comments [rss]

sarah petterson

http://www.imagefap.com/galler...

more of irene m

sarah petterson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/i...

Lindsay Reinhardt

Wait, so if my boss makes me sign an agreement saying I won't sue him after I leave my job, does that mean he can legally rape me?

TimeDown

No, it means, arguably, that you can't sue him (it depends a lot on the actual contract and the actual allegations). But even assuming that you can't sue him because of something you signed no one can stop you from pressing criminal charges.

personagratin

As years of watching The People's Court and Law and Order have taught me, an illegal contract is not enforceable, and that it's impossible to sign away your rights.

TimeDown

The curse of learning the law from TV. This contract is not illegal and technically no rights have been signed away. She can still seek a remedy for her claims but she signed away the ability to do it in court and instead has agreed to confidential binding arbitration.

grimwomyn

Oh American Apparel, how does such good clothing come from such a terrible mind?

freddynyc

It's amazing how those frames are favored only by pedophiles and pornographers...

robingee

Dov's a sleazoid of the worst order so it's difficult to believe anything he says in his defense.

TheRealCannibal

never sign anything of this nature. If you do, sign your name and add "signed under coercion, not agreed"

Guest

this guy is a perv but this does seem like it could be extortion by media. it seems highly unlikely that he, say, chained her to a radiator in his apt for 8 months. and usually victims of this type of crime don't plaster their name and face all over the media.

jaycjay

"it seems highly unlikely that he, say, chained her to a radiator in his apt for 8 months"

You've misread something somewhere. No such claim has been made.

Guest

not at all, friend. i was using artistic license to expand on the scenario of the alleged "captivity". i also used "say" to reinforce that as you might have noticed.

"claiming he held her captive in his Manhattan apartment once she turned 18, and forced her to perform sexual acts"

jaycjay

Sorry, I missed the 'say' in that sentence.

The Gothamist sentence you're quoting, of course, referred to her allegedly being held for a few hours, not eight months. But that section is (big surprise) misleading or, at best, confusing as written.

Guest

no problem, i should probably go to the sources more often. i know you are very meticulous and often enjoy your fact-checking posts. cheers.

randomtransplant

"usually victims of this type of crime don't plaster their name and face all over the media. "

Lewinsky
Tripp
Clarnce Thomas's mistress
Edward's love child's mom
The Italian prime minister's women
the ex-governor's prostitute
The washington madame

Guest

none of those people are victims of forced captivity and sexual abuse. try again.

Mordicai

Yeah...it has been extortion by media over & over & over again with this guy. He & Roethlisberger could get together & talk about what a hard time they both have of it.