A former server at a West Hollywood restaurant dropped his lawsuit alleging he was forced to quit his job after the liberal owner harassed him because of his support of former President Donald Trump.
Joseph Bliven, a heterosexual, also claimed that he was sexually harassed at the restaurant by his co-workers and WeHo Bistro customers. However, when Bliven reported the harassment, he was told he “better just get used to it” because that’s how things are in West Hollywood, said the suit.
Bliven sued WeHo Bistro and its owner, Jeff Douek, for wrongful termination, discrimination based upon political affiliation and exercise of protected rights, sexual orientation harassment and failure to prevent harassment.” The suit was originally filed on June 22.
Bliven's attorney, Scott Gizer told KNX in an email that “the matter settled, which is why the case was dismissed.” However, he added that the settlement is confidential, so he can not discuss the terms of the agreement.
Bliven’s lawsuit claimed that after Trump became a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, Douek fostered a work environment at WeHo Bistro where employees were bullied if they expressed different political opinions than him. Douek is a liberal Democrat, said the suit, and Bliven a Republican.
"Douek was vocal with employees and customers about his support for the Democratic party and his disdain for President Donald Trump and the Republican party," the suit stated.
The suit also said the La Cienaga Boulevard restaurant had a toilet brush in the bathroom with a toy replica of Trump on it.
When Douek questioned Bliven as to whether he liked Trump, "a shift took place in Douek's demeanor towards Bliven," said the suit adding that Douek tried to "bully, shame and intimidate" Bliven because of his political beliefs.
"Bliven was offended by the constant taunting and stereotyping based on his political beliefs and affiliation," according to the lawsuit.
After a trip to Florida, Douek asked Bliven to get a COVID-19 test before he could return to work. However, the suit alleged other employees who had traveled out of state were not required to take a COVID-19 test prior to coming back to work.
Bliven believed the demand was "discriminatory," so he was forced to quit.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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