Veronica McIlraith took a photo of her alleged inappropriate boss at Wegman Partners. Photo courtesy of New York Post.
Summary: A legal recruiting executive at Wegman Partners was accused of harassing a female underling for years. Update 10/26/17 at 1:55pm: the executive has been fired.
Veronica McIlraith took a photo of her boss’ office, where he had posted the sign, “Suck my balls.” She also took a photo of him, lying on the ground in tiny shorts seemingly passed out, as well as a picture he had drawn of an ejaculating penis.
Scott Legg’s alleged artwork.
Just based on her evidence, you’d think McIlraith worked as a den mother at a frat house, but she was actually employed at a large legal recruiting firm, Wegman Partners. Her unconscious boss in the shorts wasn’t some young kid either. He is Scott Legg, 37, one of Wegman Partner’s leaders.
According to the New York Post, McIlraith filed a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The former managing director at Wegman Partner’s New York City office said that she had endured sexual harassment and retaliation from Legg, who seemingly was unchecked and open with his inappropriate work behavior.
In her complaint, McIlraith, 35, said that her boss told her he would “suck on her boobies” and she provided the text as proof. She also said that he humped her office door, came to work high on cocaine, and became mean when she rebuffed his advances. The married woman said that Legg threw furniture and called her a “bitch” when she turned down his indecent proposals.
The text Scott allegedly sent, stating he wanted to “suck… boobies.”
McIlraith worked at Wegman Partners from 2014 to 2017. The firm provides legal recruiting to Fortune 500 companies.
McIlraith said that Legg appeared drunk and high at work, and she snapped a photo of him sprawled out on the floor as proof. She said that he not only made crude comments but that he had “aggressively grabbed” her breasts at work in July of 2015.
In her lawsuit, McIlraith said that she reported Legg to human resources at Wegman Partners, and her boss was suspended for five days as an investigation was conducted. According to McIlraith, Wegman Partners CEO Colby Wegman ended up siding with Legg, and she was forced out of her job. She said that she was not given a chance of getting another position elsewhere.
McIlraith is represented by attorney Zoe Salzman of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP. Salzman filed the harassment complaint with the city instead of filing a lawsuit because McIlraith had signed a work contract with an arbitration clause.
Salzman said that the clause did not prevent her client from filing a complaint with a government agency, however.
“No woman should have to experience this sort of harassment at work. Ms. McIlraith is standing up. Other women are standing up. And more will follow,” said Salzman.
According to The New York Daily News, McIlraith suffers from panic attacks and takes anxiety medication due to her bad experience at Wegman Partners.
“The barrage of harassment and aggression has seriously damaged Ms. McIlraith emotionally,” the complaint stated. “She is fearful, anxious and traumatized.”
Wegman Partners said that Legg has been terminated from the firm and that they are conducting an investigation into McIlraith’s allegations.
“We take these allegations seriously, and have engaged a law firm to conduct a thorough internal investigation to determine the facts in this matter. We have terminated Mr. Legg’s employment with our firm, and will respond to the specific allegations in the complaint. We are an ethical company that is committed to fostering a safe and fair workplace, and to addressing inappropriate employee actions or behaviors.”
UPDATED 10/27/17 at 1:55pm with a statement from Wegman Partners.
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