TAMPA – A Tampa resident has sued Outback Steakhouse claiming she was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
Jenice Clouse filed the lawsuit in federal court. According to the complaint, Clouse was employed by Outback until April 6, 2023, when she was terminated.
According to the lawsuit, Outback claims it fired her for making people in the workplace feel uncomfortable. Clouse claims this reason is a pretext and that Outback actually terminated her in retaliation for exercising her First Amendment rights and reporting sexual harassment.
Clouse alleges Outback had an employee who subjected her to inappropriate sexual questions and that she reported this employee to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April 2023. In her report, Clouse claimed Outback promised to conduct an investigation but failed to do so. Clouse claims the company learned of daily sexual harassment by managers and other male coworkers, but instead of taking corrective action against the employees, the defendant manufactured false reasons for her dismissal and terminated her from her position in retaliation for making the report. Clouse argues her reports to the EEOC are protected by the First Amendment and U.S. law.
Clouse, who is representing herself in this case, is seeking damages for emotional distress and bills incurred due to unemployment.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Tampa Division case number 8:23-cv-02514