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Twin Brothers Win Gay-on-Gay Sexual Harassment Suit
by Kilian Melloy
A sexual harassment case was settled in favor of gay twin brothers who brought suit against the two gay restaurant owners who they said had subjected them to sexually inappropriate comments.
The brothers were awarded $1,000 in the suit, seeing only part of their claim upheld by the court, which rejected claims that the brothers had suffered infliction of emotional distress and retaliation, reported a Mar. 3 article at Daily Breeze.com.
The brothers, Jed and Wyatt Lorenzen, 32, worked at Vermont Restaurant in Los Feliz, Calif.
The business is owned by Michael Gelzhiser and Manuel Mesta, the article said.
The brothers claimed that the owners made sexually explicit comments to them, including comparing portions of their physiques to debate which one was "hotter."
The brothers’ lawyer, Sarah E. Hernandez, was cited as saying that the suit was not about the money.
Said Hernandez, "It’s harder to prove sexual harassment with men because, unlike women, they don’t break down and cry on the stand."
Jed Lorenzen echoed the sentiment that the monetary award was not the motivating factor behind the suit. The article quoted him as saying he was "thoroughly happy with the verdict.
"The money was not as important."
Gilzhiser reacted to the award, which capped a 16-month process, including nine days at trial, with the words, "All of this for that?," the article reported.
The defendants’ lawyer, Jonathon Kaplan, said, "I would have preferred that it would have been a complete defense verdict.
"But I think the fact the jury only awarded $1,000 to each plaintiff speaks volumes about their case." Link
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