NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Actress Rosario Dawson and her family are being sued for allegedly discriminating against a transgender man and for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and trespass among other claims, according to filed court documents
The suit was filed Friday by 55-year-old Deidre Finley, who prefers to go by Dedrek Finley, alleges that he was hired by Dawson to move from New York City to Los Angeles to work on renovating her residence as a handyman.
Finley says he agreed to work for Dawson at $25 an hour for the home repairs and was offered a place to live in North Hollywood, free of rent but would cover his own utilities.
According to lawsuit, immediately after coming out to the Dawson family as transgender man, there was a change in the atmosphere.
Finley claims the family “misgendered him multiple times each day, with deliberate indifference as to the appropriate way to address” him.
Finley alleges Dawson’s step-father, Gregory, would “scream in Mr. Finley’s face that ‘you’re not a man,’ ‘a man wouldn’t work like this,’ and ‘you only think you’re a man.’"
In the suit, Finley claims Rosario would respond to him saying, ‘You’re a grown woman,’" despite the fact that Finley had come out as transgender to the family.
He also claims Dawson was aware of the incidents after he brought them to her attention, but “refused to act to end the abuse,” allegedly telling Finley, "You’re a grown woman."
Finley alleges that about two months after he had come out, in February of 2018, he was ordered by the family via text message to move out of the North Hollywood apartment.
When Finley did not move out, he claims Dawson and her mother Isabel arrived outside of the apartment in April 2018 where Isabel allegedly dragged him out of the bedroom window and to the ground.
“Once Mr. Finley was lying helpless on the ground outside, Isabel, who is substantially larger than Mr. Finley, got on top of Mr. Finley’s body and began punching him,” the court documents allege. “While beating Mr. Finley, Isabel screamed, ‘You’re not so much of a fan now,’ which was a clear and denigrating reference to Mr. Finley’s gender identity.”
Finley also claims Dawson aided her mother in the assault and "sat down on top of Mr. Finley, actively restraining him while he was on the ground to ensure that her mother could continue battering."
He claims Isabel and Rosario "stomped" on his hand and took his cell phone so he would not be able to call 911. Finley alleges he recorded cell phone video of previous threats by Isabel against him.
A day following the alleged attack, Finley was granted a temporary restraining order against Isabel Dawson after she attempted to move out his belongings, the lawsuit states.
Tasha Alyssa Hill, an attorney representing Finley, told NBC News that her client had no choice but to sue the Dawson family.
“As his attorney, we have reached out numerous times to the Dawson family attorney seeking to resolve this before having to file suit,” Hill stated. She said after receiving no response, the suit was filed last week before the statute of limitations expired.
Finley is seeking real and punitive damages and trial by jury.
1010 WINS has reached out to Dawson's rep and lawyer for comment.