A former employee of a Midtown public relations firm was fired after he complained about too much hands-on instruction from two female bosses, according to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Joseph Jackson, 41, claims he endured nearly seven months of verbal come-ons and overt touches from two women supervisors at Open Communications, one of whom allegedly sent him a text asking for a “bang sesh.”
Even when John Morris, CEO of Open Communications, a Midtown digital strategy firm, witnessed the raunchy behavior, he simply rolled his eyes and shrugged, the lawsuit contends.
Jackson claims he was fired Feb. 21 after formally complaining three times to Morris about inappropriate behavior from supervisors Sally O’Dowd and Katie Campisano.
He filed his suit Monday, three days after he lost his job.
According to Jackson’s suit, Campisano and O’Dowd started crossing boundaries about a month after he was hired in July.
Sally O’Dowd, co-founder of Manhattan company Open Communications, allegedly sexually harrased former employee Joseph Jackson, the ex-worker’s lawsuit claims.
O’Dowd, 45, who co-founded the company, allegedly wrapped her arms around him when he attended her company birthday party in August.
The leggy brunette hugged him three times even though he didn’t respond to her, the plaintiff says.
“You are so handsome. You are so awesome …You are so talented,’ she allegedly whispered in his ear. Then she kissed him on the back of the neck,” the lawsuit said.
The attention left Jackson “distraught,” according to the lawsuit, and he left the party.
But the inappropriate contact continued, his suit asserts. Over the next few months, O’Dowd would run her hands over Jackson, touching his abs, massaging his arms and kissing his neck while telling him how “sexy” he was.
Katie Campisano of Midtown public relations firm Open Communications is named as a defendant in Joseph Jackson’s sexual harassment lawsuit.
She also made comments about her sexual escapades, once comparing Jackson to her “hot lover Apollo,” the suit said.
Then she started forcing him to touch her, the plaintiff claims.
“I’ve been doing these exercises and crunches. My body is so fit and tight. Poke my abdomen,” she allegedly told him Dec. 18.
When he refused, she grabbed his hand and forced him to fondle her stomach, Jackson alleges.
At the same time, he was getting unwanted sexual attention from 25-year-old Campisano, the suit says.
Open Communications co-founder Sally O’Dowd is one of the sexual harassment lawsuit defendants accused by Joseph Jackson.
“When are we going to have our bang sesh?” she allegedly wrote him in a November text.
She also wrote things like, “You may be easier to bang when we’re not co-workers,” and “I’m going to need you to be my next boyfriend, Joseph,” the suit said.
After the company got a condom client in November, Campisano tested one out on a banana, remarking that it was a tight fit, the lawsuit says.
“It probably wouldn’t fit Joseph,” she allegedly said.
Jackson, hired for $35,000 as the executive assistant for Morris, contends that he told the CEO the behavior made him uncomfortable.
Joseph Jackson claims he was sexually harassed by Open Communications supervisor Katie Campisano, pictured.
Morris allegedly said he was sorry and “would look into it.”
But the women’s racy actions continued, Jackson’s suit asserts.
Even when Morris witnessed O’Dowd acting inappropriately, he didn’t intervene, according to the lawsuit.
Morris was in a room in December with O’Dowd when she commented that she “get(s) to stand next to Joseph and his sexy biceps,” the suit said.
The CEO just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, the court documents say.
Calls to Campisano and O’Dowd were not returned.
Lawyer Peter Gallagher, who is defending Open Communications and its employees, said he intended to fight the lawsuit.
“Anybody can say anything in a court filing, it does not make it true,” he said.
Jackson declined to comment but his lawyer, Zafer Akin, said they’re looking forward to their day in court.
“It won’t just be his word against theirs. We look forward to getting a verdict,” he said.