Former Newport Marriott Employee Says Hotel Responsible for Rape by Supervisor in Federal Lawsuit

Former Newport Marriott Employee Says Hotel Responsible for Rape by Supervisor in Federal Lawsuit

A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Rhode Island by a former employee at the Newport Marriott — who alleges she was harassed and raped by a supervisor, and that the hotel corporation failed in its “duty to provide a safe workplace for its workers.” 

The lawsuit filed by “Jane Doe” names Marriott International, Host Marriott Corporation, and Marriott Hotel Services LLC as defendants on the counts of “negligent hiring, training, and supervision” by employing who she alleges was a known sexual harasser, as well as “Rhode Island Civil Rights Act Retaliation” — for firing her after she had reported the alleged rape.

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According to attorney Chip Muller, who is representing Doe, his client also filed a criminal report with police — and her assailant was charged with first-degree sexual assault by the State of Rhode Island. 

The sexual assault allegedly took place in March of 2022.

In August of 2023, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office charged Freddie Brooks of Newport with first-degree sexual assault. That criminal case is now pending in the Newport County Superior Court.

Brooks' attorney, John MacDonald, told GoLocal, "Mr. Brooks maintains his innocence, and we contend that any and all activities were consensual."

 

The Federal Civil Law Case Targets Marriott

The new federal lawsuit alleges that Marriott knew that the alleged assailant — identified  as “F.B.” who was the “Director of Rooms” at the Newport Marriott — “had sexually harassed Marriott employees and guests.”

“After leaving the Newport Marriott and working for other hotels, Marriott rehired F.B. with knowledge that he sexually harassed Marriott employees and guests in the past,” according to the lawsuit. “After Marriott rehired F.B., he raped Plaintiff Jane Doe after work. F.B.’s rape of Ms. Doe was a foreseeable consequence of Marriott’s negligent decision to rehire F.B.”

According to the suit, “Doe,” a Rhode Island resident, worked for Marriott from June 2021 to June 2022.

“F.B. would regularly touch Ms. Doe and invite Ms. Doe out for drinks,” states the lawsuit. “Ms. Doe made it clear to him that she was not interested in any type of relationship beyond a professional friendship.”

It was on March 24, 2022, that “F.B. invited Ms. Doe to join him and several coworkers from the Newport Marriott at a restaurant after work to celebrate F.B.’s birthday.”

“Later that night, Ms. Doe lost consciousness at the bar. Ms. Doe has a memory of regaining consciousness long enough to realize that she was in her bed and F.B. was raping her,” according to the suit. 

Doe said she went to Newport Hospital the following day for a rape kit and reported the rape to Marriott executives. 

“Upon information and belief, an investigation followed, resulting in Marriott’s termination of F.B.’s employment in approximately April 2022,” according to the lawsuit. 

Doe, who says that Marriott “never gave her a written warning or negative performance evaluation,” says the company fired her after she left work for “approximately 30 minutes” one day to check on her boyfriend, who was in the middle of a “serious medical emergency.” 

Doe said she let her coworkers know about the situation; she says Marriott fired her for not clocking out and “falsifying company records.”

Marriott did not respond to requests for comment.