A federal lawsuit alleges that Jerry Agajian, the 73-year-old founder of New York City construction materials testing and inspection company Twin Peaks, subjected female employees to sexual harassment and racist comments. Two former employees, Karen Delara and Ling Wang, claim Agajian made unwelcome advances and used derogatory language based on their ethnicities.
According to the lawsuit filed Monday, Agajian would share "vulgar" details of his sex life and express desires for female staffers. The suit states he referred to Wang, who is of Asian descent, with ethnic slurs such as "Chinese b[--]h," "chopsticks," and "kung fu." Delara, of Dominican descent, was allegedly called "Dominican b[--]h" and "machete girl."
One particular incident described in the lawsuit involves Agajian approaching Delara at her desk and asking if she "ever tried Armenian sausage," a remark the plaintiffs interpret as a reference to his penis. The employees also claim they felt pressured to accept meals with Agajian out of fear for their jobs, and that he would become belligerently drunk during these occasions.
Delara and Wang allege they were unfairly fired in April. The lawsuit states their termination occurred on April 1, the day after they declined to meet Agajian for dinner. Agajian reportedly informed the entire office that the firings were due to their refusal to dine with him.
Twin Peaks, based in Long Island City, holds significant contracts with the city. The two former employees are seeking unspecified damages and reinstatement to their positions.
Representatives for Agajian, Twin Peaks, and the plaintiffs had not immediately responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.