Woman Hits Liberty Place Victoria’s Secret With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Ionnae Alvarado-Jones says her manager frequently commented on her breasts and touched her inappropriately.
Philadelphia resident Ionnae Alvarado-Jones (left) has filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against Victoria’s Secret, alleging that her manager at the Victoria’s Secret at Liberty Place sexually harassed her repeatedly. (Victoria’s Secret photo by Laura Swartz)
Ionnae Alvarado-Jones began working as a sales associate at the Victoria’s Secret at Liberty Place in Philadelphia in November 2021. And it was shortly after this that she says her job became a nightmare.
Alvarado-Jones just filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against the lingerie chain. In the complaint, she alleges that Janet Santiago, a manager at the Liberty Place Victoria’s Secret location, began texting her in order to connect with her more “personally,” as the lawsuit puts it. Those text reportedly started on January 19, 2022. Then came the sexual harassment, the suit alleges.
According to allegations contained in the lawsuit, Santiago frequently said to Alvarado-Jones, “You’re so sexy,” and other phrases to that effect. She allegedly told Alvarado-Jones that she has pretty breasts and that they were distracting to her and to customers in the store. She also allegedly directed Alvarado-Jones to spin around so she could get a better look at her whole body. Beyond that, Santiago allegedly told Alvarado-Jones that she could tell when her nipples were hard.
But the alleged harassment wasn’t just limited to words. Alvarado-Jones claims that Santiago also poked her in the breasts, touched her arm in a sensual way, and pulled her alone into corners to sexually harass her more.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that the store manager personally witnessed the sexual harassment but did nothing to stop it. Alvarado-Jones says she was initially afraid to file any kind of formal report about the alleged mistreatment, because the store manager already knew about it and didn’t intervene, claims the suit. Then on October 1, 2022, Alvarado-Jones decided to call the Victoria’s Secret ethics hotline, but the suit alleges that this complaint resulted in nothing other than retaliatory behavior by store staffers.
Alvarado-Jones says she tried to submit a letter of resignation due to the ongoing sexual harassment but that store management wouldn’t accept it. So Alvarado-Jones complained to Vanessa McGready, an HR rep for Victoria’s Secret. The suit alleges that McGready said she would look into it but that Alvarado-Jones never heard back.
On December 19, 2022, Alvarado-Jones says she sent a resignation letter to Victoria’s Secret’s human resources department, an act she says she was forced to do because the harassment and retaliatory behavior wouldn’t stop and Victoria’s Secret didn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
Santiago, who is not named as a defendant in the suit, could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for the corporate headquarters of Victoria’s Secret did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
“You deserve a workplace free of sexual harassment,” David Koller, the attorney representing Alvarado-Jones, tells Philly Mag. “Hardworking people are trying to make a living, pay bills and provide for their families. That’s difficult enough. When you add on top of that a hostile work environment, it is just not right. And then when you follow the proper steps and procedures of reporting it, a company must hold up its end and handle the situation appropriately. I’m proud of Ionnae for her courage in reporting it and disappointed in any company that fails to address situations like this. We look forward to representing her in this case.”
The suit accuses Victoria’s Secret of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and retaliation. It seeks unspecified damages.
