There is an interesting case filed against the Hilton Hotel chain by the night manager of the SkyWater Restaurant and Lounge. Deborah Smith claims that she was fired after she had walked in on and witnessed several members of Hilton’s upper management engaging in sex acts in a banquet room.
According to a lawsuit that Smith has filed against the hotel chain, she encountered several inebriated executives engaging in sex acts on top of a table. She alleges that, when she objected, Hilton Beverage Manager, James Vennewitz, told Smith that she would be fired and he would make sure of it.
The lawsuit alleges a novel theory of “undirected sexual harassment” and a more conventional “campaign of harassment and retaliation ensured.” She states that Hilton Human Resources Director Traci Schultz took no action upon hearing about the incident. 
This appears the year for orgy lawsuits (perhaps a new area of specialty). Earlier this year, News of the World settled a lawsuit by Kate Moss after publishing an article alleging participation in an orgy. Racing mogul Max Mosley is also prevailed in a lawsuit after the publication of this video of his orgy. Update: He was able to show that his orgy was not Nazi-themed and that video violated his privacy.
For the full complaint, click here.
Anyone interested should look into Bert James, a VP with Pyramid Hotels. Now’s here’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Sorry it’s taken so long.
Probably the best read on the net…
I couldnt agree with you more
I was hired by Hilton Worldwide and terminated while in orientation because they used a company called HR-plus used a screen-er that did not understand I never was convicted but paid a fine for a check. I had turned in my notice to my other employer. The Hilton Worldwide Global in Carrollton, tx human resources is very unprofessiona and does not have any ethics pease don’t apply at that location.
Hilton has proven to be a huge disappointment to me. When my father almost died last year, I came home to work so that I would be close enough if something happened. They cut my pay. Imagine that you are not costing them any money to be at a corporate office but yet, you are charged to work at home! Then when you run out of FMLA, they force you to resign rather than terminate you so they dont have to pay unemployment. And the COBRA program is a JOKE.
I have Personally worked for 2 different Hiltons, One Corporate and one a franchise. The franchise Hilton(Indialantic, Florida) made excuses y they didn’t pay anyone overtime. The other which was corporate(Cocoa Beach, Florida) had a very discriminating food and beverage director named Jose who didn’t like women, and didn’t like american people. He ran most of the women off in the past year he has been the F&B director and Keeps hiring all spanish or foreign people,most of them having absolutely no experience. All that mattered was that they weren’t WHITE or FEMALES. I heard him frequently make comments about “american women”, excuse me but this is america? I thought the Hilton was an upscale corporate hotel that cared about their employees, so they say in their orientation. Its all bull. Sure you can go to HR or to the GM but who are they going to believe? Its already been done a few times and its Sorry if you don’t like it then quit!
I highly testify how hilton corp doesnt care about their employees….i worked in the customer service department where i always deal with guests…some good,some are assholes.i had an incident when the hotel was sold out and i had to checked in a guest on our last room..minutes later,she called back and told me that the room was old and smelly.i was very apologetic and explain to her the hotel was full house,i even ask her if she wants to talked to my manager which she declined and said she was tired..she complained.days later,my superior talked to me about the incident…i had a write up for that!!even if i tried to resolve the problem the best way i can.i usually take extra mile in doing side works when were not busy in the front..i organize,vaccuum and clean the front office,they never give me credit for that.even if i receive good comments from my guests,they dont care.but if you make an honest mistake or a complaint from the guest,theyre so fast in demeriting or even firing you from your job.
John Griffin is a lieing prick. Ive tried to contact HR to resolve the matter and they are little bitches who dont return there emails!
Hilton fired me too after i found out John Griffin was banging the front desk girl at our property!
This lawsuit against Hilton Hotels does not surprise me in the least. Having been fired this month as a Work at home reservation agent for 22 months of good service when a Male Diamond Member refused to identify information on his Honors Membership Card and began verbally abusing me by intimating that I was lying to him about the info on his card, in which out of frustration I finally subsequently hung u on the bastard, I was fired by Manager Jeanette Rollins and my DC Randi Haggard in the Carrollton, Texas Office in retaliation, I feel, for maibly prior complaints I had made to them months earlier for abuses committed by other inhouse employees concerning my Paid time off requests on my payroll, etc.
Yes, I did hang up on the arrogant bastard, but Hilton does not and will not stand behind its employees and makes absolutely NO EFFORT to protect their welfare from abusive customers — either male or female. They don’t or won’t even initiate a new Obscene Phone Call extenstion line like we had with their Rockwell Phone System, prior to their installment of their new Avaya Phone System – which sucks because you can’t hear the customer and they can’t hear you! How’s that for lousy working conditions
During the Obama/McCain Campaign, I received a lot of obscene calls from McCain Religious Fruitcakes harrassing me about whom I was voting for, preaching religion to me, and threatening me if I voted for Obama or if I supported abortion and other sexual explicit bleep bleeps I won’t mention here. After filing a complaint with John Ingenito concerning the numerous calls I was receiving during the evening hours, I was told to ignore it that it would all go away after the election was over.
This is the never-ending callous response that any and all employees will receive at Hilton. So, its not surprising that this kind of sex orgy thing occurs at their hotels, while the Hilton higher-ups and HR staff turn a blind eye. And loathe unto you if you dare file a complaint against any inhouse company employee — much a Hilton Executive — for you’ll be road pizza in a flash with this company. I feel for Debra Smith and hope she wins her case. She deserves it!
Hilton is in my opinion one of the SLEAZIEST places to work for given the Hilton History Family of degenerates and the people who run the show (BLACKSTONE)of this infamous hotel chain.
Any decent person with a good sense of right and wrong and good work ethic should steer clear of this company, either as an employee or as a paying customer.
Truth Will Out!
There is a lot of the ‘play along to get along mentality’, still, in the hospitality industry, unspoken – unfortunately.
Just as there is in other industries and professions…
Who needs this nonsense on the job?
I hope the execs get fired and she either gets a major promotion and/or
a major monetary settlement.
I would think that this case has a chance of success if the ex-employee can prove the link to her unfortunate eyewitness experience. I would think it would be a conventional sexual harassment situation. Why the “novel theory”?
Now that’s just creepy.
Maybe they should hire that University gentleman who was arrested for sexual misconduct; sounds like his cup of tea!
Kind of gives new meaning to the corporate mottos:
“Take Me to the Hilton
The places you’d rather be.”
or maybe:
“Meet me at the Hilton.” Meet me where?
Indeed!