This week, the California Democratic Party passed a resolution supporting the boycott of Terranea Resort, an effort started in 2018 by the Feminist Majority Foundation and California NOW when multiple women who worked at the resort came forward with allegations of sexual harassment. State senators, assembly members, city council members, and Congresswoman Katie Hill also endorse the boycott.
The resolution, AB 170, is named Sandra’s Law after Sandra Pezqueda, a resort dishwasher, who alleged in a 2016 law suit that she was sexually harassed and assaulted by an agency supervisor and was subsequently fired for reporting the harassment. Sandra was then featured as a “silence breaker” in Time Magazine’s 2017 person of the year issue and has since reached a $250,000 settlement.
Sandra, as well as other Terranea workers, is pushing a ballot measure effort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA that would require large hospitality employers, such as Terranea Resort to provide panic buttons for employees to use that would immediately summon assistance if the employee feels threatened or uncomfortable.
In April 2019, Terranea Resort reached a $2.15 million settlement in a wage and hour class action lawsuit brought by employees who claimed “wage theft” against the resort.
Media Resources: AP 6/4/19
