Tiger Woods accused of sexual harassment by ex-girlfriend

May 5, 2023 admin

The ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods has accused him of sexual harassment, saying he pursued a sexual relationship together with her when she was his worker after which pressured her to signal a non-disclosure settlement about it – or be fired from her job if she didn’t, in accordance with a doc filed by her legal professional Friday in a Florida state court docket.

“Mr. Woods was Ms. Herman’s boss,” stated the legal professional for Erica Herman. “On Mr. Woods’s personal portrayal of occasions, he imposed an NDA on her as a situation to maintain her job when she started having a sexual relationship with him. A boss imposing completely different work situations on his worker due to their sexual relationship is sexual harassment.”

The submitting is a part of a dispute between them that arose after the couple broke up in October.

Herman labored at Woods’ restaurant, The Woods, in Jupiter, Florida, after they started their relationship.

She filed a lawsuit in October towards the belief Woods established for his residence in Florida in 2017, not towards Woods himself.

Herman alleged in that public lawsuit that she had an oral tenancy settlement to remain on the residence for about 5 extra years. She claimed greater than $30 million damages after she stated she was locked out of the house in violation of the settlement.

Then the dispute received extra sophisticated, resulting in the court docket doc filed Friday by her legal professional, Benjamin Hodas.

“Tiger Woods, the internationally famend athlete and some of the highly effective figures in international sports activities, determined to pursue a sexual relationship along with his worker, then – in accordance with him – pressured her to signal an NDA about it or else be fired from her job,” stated the doc filed by her legal professional. “And, when he turned disgruntled with their sexual relationship, he tricked her into leaving her house, locked her out, took her money, pets, and private possessions, and tried to strong-arm her into signing a distinct NDA.”

What led to this?

In December, Woods responded to Herman’s preliminary lawsuit by initiating confidential arbitration proceedings to resolve the dispute in accordance with the phrases of the NDA the 2 signed close to the beginning of their relationship in 2017, in accordance with court docket paperwork filed by Woods’ legal professional. That NDA purportedly requires her to resolve any disputes between the 2 in confidential arbitration as an alternative of public court docket, although Herman’s legal professional raised questions Friday in regards to the NDA that Woods’ legal professional filed on this dispute as an exhibit.

Herman then dropped a legal bomb of sorts into those private proceedings. She alleged the battle concerned a “sexual harassment dispute,” a declare that led the American Arbitration Affiliation to droop these confidential proceedings in January underneath a brand new federal legislation that may invalidate pressured arbitration agreements in instances of sexual harassment or assault.

In March, Herman adopted up on that by submitting one other lawsuit in public state court docket, this time towards Woods himself – a submitting that asks the court docket to launch her from the NDA with Woods. In that case, she additionally cited a brand new federal legislation that may invalidate NDAs in instances of sexual harassment or assault.

These new legal guidelines have been enacted final yr as a option to cease sexual predators from utilizing NDAs and compelled confidential arbitration to cover their sexual misconduct.

In Herman’s case, she didn’t initially make particular allegations about such misconduct towards Woods. Her legal professional as an alternative cited these federal statutes and made the next reply when filling out a canopy sheet for the lawsuit filed towards Woods on March 6.

“Does this case contain allegations of sexual abuse?” the shape requested.

“Sure,” he answered, with out being extra particular.

However to ensure that her lawsuit to proceed in public court docket and keep away from going again into personal arbitration, legal experts told USA TODAY Sports she needed to make more detailed allegations about any sexual harassment or abuse she claims to have suffered.

She did that together with her submitting on Friday.

“The owner made the provision of her housing conditional on her having sexual relationship with a co-tenant,” her submitting acknowledged. “That conduct quantities to sexual harassment underneath federal and Florida truthful housing legal guidelines.

“The quick abstract of occasions right here and the Defendant’s personal linking of the purported settlement to his sexual motivations in each her employment and housing are adequate to carry this case throughout the ambit of the Ending Compelled Arbitration Act.”

What’s Tiger Woods’ response?

Woods’ legal professional, J.B. Murray, did not instantly reply to a message in search of remark. He acknowledged in earlier court docket paperwork that Herman is a “not a sufferer of sexual assault or abuse sought to be protected by Congress when enacting the statute.”

He denied Herman had an oral tenancy agreement and described her as a “jilted ex-girlfriend” who was making specious claims. He additionally described Herman’s public court docket filings as a option to put strain on Woods, who famously guards his privateness and as soon as was ensnared in a intercourse scandal.

Murray needs the court docket to kick the matter again into personal arbitration proceedings, as stipulated by their NDA.

“Ms. Herman argues that she can’t be required to arbitrate her claims as a result of a brand new federal statute … gives {that a} get together to an arbitration settlement can’t be required to arbitrate a ‘sexual assault dispute’ or a ‘sexual harassment dispute,'” Woods’ legal professional wrote in a latest submitting. “Ms. Herman’s place is completely meritless.”

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