Two women who last year accused Paul Marciano of sexual harassment are attempting a “novel” legal strategy that could spell trouble for Guess board members.
The women, who came forward publicly for the first time Thursday, filed a complaint Wednesday accusing eight current and former Guess board members of aiding and abetting sexual harassment. Arick Fudali, a partner at The Bloom Firm, the law firm representing three of Marciano’s accusers, described the unique strategy of holding board members responsible for the actions of an executive as “new” and “pretty novel.”
Since 1993, more than a dozen women have accused Marciano of sexual misconduct, including in some cases rape. In 2018, model-turned-actress Kate Upton became the highest profile individual to allege sexual assault and harassment. The accusations triggered an investigation that resulted in settlement agreements totaling $500,000 with five individuals who had accused Marciano of sexual harassment.
When Marciano resigned from his role as executive chairman that same year, it appeared that the investigation had effectively ousted Guess’ co-founder. In 2019, however, the company announced that he would remain on as a board member and the company’s chief creative officer.
Guess claims that its 2018 investigation vindicated its continued employment of Marciano and his re-nomination as a director. In a statement responding to an investor’s recent calls to remove Marciano and his brother, Maurice, from Guess’ board,...
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