Facts

Sakina Begum, a Bangladeshi immigrant, worked as a cook for Desh Management dba Little Dhaka Restaurant and Groceries in the "Little India" neighborhood in Artesia. Ms. Begum, the only female employee, reported that she was repeatedly groped, battered, and demeaned by a new male head cook. She reported the abuse to the restaurant managers and owners of Desh, but they did nothing to stop the harassment or reprimand the offender. Meanwhile, the cook continued to harass Ms. Begum. She then sought help from South Asian Network (SAN), which attempted to intervene on her behalf.

In retaliation, Desh terminated Ms. Begum without paying her wages and sued her, her husband, and SAN for defamation and other claims. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) successfully filed an anti-SLAPP motion resulting in the dismissal of most of the claims against Ms. Begum.

APALC and Caldwell Leslie also filed a countersuit against Desh alleging sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations.

Result

Ultimately, the owners admitted wrongdoing and the parties negotiated a $45,000 settlement. Begum also received an apology from the owners for the mistreatment she and her husband suffered.

Other Information

Plaintiff won numerous sanctions against Desh, its owners, and its attorneys for abuse of the litigation process. A second suit was filed against Desh and its owners for fraudulently conveying assets to avoid satisfying Ms. Begum's claims.