A Benton County attorney, who runs a multi-state immigration and personal injury law firm, is being sued for allegedly harassing four of his legal assistants.
Four former employees, all Latina, accused Brandon Ritchie of a pattern of sexual harassment, making racist, sexist and demeaning jokes and refusing to stop even after being told to.
The suit filed in U.S. District Court in Richland names Ritchie, his partner Eric Reierson and the law firm.
The women claim Ritchie and the firm violated federal civil rights laws, Washington state discrimination laws and inflicted emotional distress.
The law firm has offices in Kennewick, Yakima, Tacoma and Moses Lake, along with sites in Oregon, Idaho and Arizona.
“Under the law, employees are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their race or gender,” the women’s attorney, Victoria Vreeland, said in a news release announcing that the case was filed.
“They have the right to be safe from sexual harassment which demeans and injures not only those who are targeted, but creates and unreasonably toxic and hostile workplace for all,” she said.
She claims Ritchie’s actions were made worse by the fact they cast themselves as trusted advocates for immigrant clients’ rights.
The Tri-City Herald emailed Ritchie to ask for comment about the lawsuit but didn’t receive a response on Wednesday.
Ritchie, who has been an attorney since 2012, has focused his practice on personal injury law, according to the Washington State...
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