BELLEVILE — A woman claims she was wrongfully terminated from her employment after suffering nearly a year of sexual harassment, including unwanted kissing, hugging and derogatory name calling.
Kim Steele filed a complaint March 15 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against America's Auto Auction St. Louis Inc., alleging sexual harassment and discrimination.
According to the complaint, Steele began working for America's Auto Auction on Oct. 25, 2012, as a front gate check-in clerk at its Centreville location. She alleges that in August 2018, her direct supervisor, Kyle Jones, asked her to train fellow employee Marlon Davis, with whom she had a previous relationship with and whose workplace behavior raised some concerns. Steele claims she requested not to work with Davis but was "forced" to work with him and that from August 2018 through May 2019, she suffered sexual harassment from Davis. Specifically, Steele claims Davis made "sexually offensive and derogatory comments" as well as "sexual advances" towards her, including hugging and kissing. She further claims Davis called her derogatory names such as "crazy bitch" and accused her of "engaging in sexual contact with others." Steele alleges that on May 24, 2019, she refused to go to lunch with Davis and he began throwing things while she yelled at him to stop. She claims she was fired on May 28, 2019, over the incident and that the defendants failed to stop the harassment despite her repeated complaints.
Steele seeks compensation of more than $50,000 and all other just relief. She is represented by Ryan Mahoney of Cates Mahoney LLC in Swansea.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 21-L-0256