Orientation video promoted hugging without consent – now regulators want answers from all locations
A federal court ordered a property management company to hand over nationwide employee records after its mandatory hugging policy triggered a sexual harassment investigation.
The ruling issued December 22, 2025, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, marks a sharp warning for employers whose workplace culture initiatives cross the line from team building to legal liability.
Camden Development Inc., which builds and manages apartment communities across the United States, showed all new hires an orientation video that included a segment called "The Hug Life." The segment featured employees hugging and described the practice as central to company culture, declaring that "hugging is simply a part of who we are." What the video did not mention was permission or consent.
That omission became critical when former employee Kayla Smith filed a discrimination charge in March 2023. Smith, who worked in the company's Washington office, alleged that the hugging culture enabled her manager to assault her. According to her complaint, the manager locked himself in a room with her and asked for a hug. Feeling obligated by company policy, she complied. The interaction then escalated into unwanted kissing and touching.
When the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission began investigating, it uncovered something larger. The hugging video was not just a quirky local practice but...
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