MORGANTOWN — Three lawsuits filed by former employees of the Sabraton Dunkin’ against its parent company and former general manager are in mediation this week.
Two women, Joanna Roller and Aimee Feight, sued Doughnut Joe’s LLC and Robert Garrison in August 2020. In October, another women sued the same defendants on behalf of her 15-year-old daughter, identified in the suit as A.W.
The women all claim Garrison sexually harassed them and that Doughnut Joe’s was negligent by keeping him employed and failing to stop his conduct. Both defendants have filed responses in all three suits denying wrongdoing.
This week, the court schedules shows that all three cases will hold mediation discussions. According to the American Bar Association, mediation is a private process where a neutral third party leads discussions between the parties to try and resolve the dispute. Mediation can be ordered by a court, however, the parties cannot be forced to come to an agreement.
If the meditations are unsuccessful, a pre-trial conference is scheduled in September.
In Garrison’s response to Feight’s suit, it states he acted “reasonably and appropriately under the circumstances.” It states she would brag she was his “favorite” at work, and he told her “she was not” and to stop saying it to everyone.
In A.W.’s suit, it claims Garrison assaulted her when he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. Garrison’s response admits “making brief contact with A.W.’s arm during the horseplay incident” but denies “forcefully standing right against her.” It claims footage of the incident will “speak for itself.”
Garrison is charged with battery for that incident. That case is still pending in Monongalia County Magistrate Court.
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