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SilentPanda

Member
Nov 6, 2017
13,641
Earth
A former employee of a Panda Express in Santa Clarita, California has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual battery, hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the restaurant chain. She claims that she was forced to participate in a cult-like "ritual," during which she was made to strip "almost naked" and down to her underwear.
The plaintiff, 23-year-old Jennifer Spargifiore, is suing Panda Express Restaurant Group, Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy. Per the complaint, which was dated Feb. 26 but which went public late last week, participation in the "training" session is often a prerequisite for a promotion; Panda Express expects employees to pay their own way to attend a four-day seminar conducted by Alive Seminars. That company, however, "served – in essence – as an extension of Panda Express' own Human Resources department." The seminar, according to court documents, was "bizarre and quickly devolved into psychological abuse.
"At the start, the attendees were told to sit down and not talk, and were left in eerie isolation for a full hour before a man stormed in, yelling in Spanish and berating the attendees for sitting there and doing nothing when that is exactly what they had been instructed to do. The man, an Alive Seminars employee, loudly proclaimed that the attendees are 'nothing' and 'don't matter,' rounding on some people to berate them individually, spittle flying. The overall effect was that of a particularly nasty drill sergeant yelling into Ms. Spargifiore's face."
"Plaintiff showed up to find a new 'exercise' wherein she was forced to strip down to her underwear under the guise of 'trust-building.' Plaintiff – stripped almost naked in front of strangers and co-workers – was extremely uncomfortable but pressed on because she knew it was her only chance at a promotion. Plaintiff felt extremely uncomfortable at the situation but compelled to continue because her prospects for advancement at Panda Express depended on completion of the seminar. Meanwhile, Alive Seminars staff were openly ogling the women in their state of undress, smiling, and laughing."

Following this "exercise," Spargifiore was forced to "hug it out" with a male coworker in similar state of undress..

"Plaintiff was forced to have, and did in fact suffer, unwanted and offensive contact with a male Panda Express employee that included contact with her breasts when she was ordered to 'hug it out' with the male Panda Express employee while dressed only in underwear," the lawsuit says.

lawandcrime.com

Former Employee Sues Panda Express Claiming She Had to Strip 'Almost Naked' and 'Hug it Out' with Male Coworker as Part of Cult-Like 'Ritual'

A former employee of a Panda Express in Santa Clarita, California has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual battery, hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the restaurant chain. She claims that she was forced to participate in a cult-like "ritual," during...

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shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,864
Boston
Sorry what the fuck why should anybody be expected to debase themself any further, working for Panda Express is already humiliating enough
 

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
You know I hear this shit and it makes me wonder what the fuck else is going on in the places we don't hear anything about.
 

Mandos

Member
Nov 27, 2017
30,889
Yeah um, I think I'll order from the local Chinese place next time I get the craving... not that I eat Chinese food too often to begin with
 

Zips

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,913
This is not something I expected to read tonight or, well, ever... Especially not for Panda Express of all places.
 

GoldenEye 007

Roll Tide, Y'all!
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,833
Texas
WTF

Is this like a company-wide thing, or some rogue franchisee doing dumb, abusive shit like this?

Edit: Welp, they're corporate owned. No franchising.
 

Lube Man

Alt-Account
Banned
Jan 18, 2021
1,247
Take 'em to the ground and empty their entire bank account. This is disgusting.
 

Tavernade

Tavernade
Moderator
Sep 18, 2018
8,622
Presumably this isn't the first time this has happened, which means the trial will likely show just how long this kind of abuse has gone on for.
 

adj_noun

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
17,177
"Alive Seminars staff proceeded to dim the lights," says the suit. "Plaintiff and the other attendees were instructed to stand up and close their eyes, pretending that a light from above would come down and take all the 'negative energy' out of them, then pretend that a hole opened up in the ground and swallowed the 'negative energy.' While this was happening, one of the Alive Seminars staff had a cell phone with the light on, recording plaintiff in her state of undress."

Attendees, the lawsuit alleges, were confined in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

"If plaintiff wanted to use the restroom, someone from the Alive Seminars staff would stand outside the restroom door," says the suit. "When another participant ran into the restroom to throw up, Alive Seminars staff ran after her. Another male participant was only given a small trash can to throw up in and was forced to do it in front of all the other attendees."

Those people are lucky nobody ever took a swing at them.
 

rjinaz

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
28,392
Phoenix
How did this not come out before now? The fuck Panda Express?

Yep, girl going to be set for life and I hope more employees join the lawsuit.
 

makonero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,656
Holy fucking shit. If this goes as deep as this implies, I doubt Panda Express could survive
 

rjinaz

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
28,392
Phoenix
What fucking "trust-building" bullshit is this meant to achieve beyond someone's fucked up power fantasy?

What in the fucking fuck
Yeah. There is no possible benefit from any of this that could translate to making and serving fast food. I went through two months of training for Child Services and nothing even came in the same universe as this shit and yet somehow I'm supposed to believe this would be necessary to serve some orange flavored chicken?!

It's definitely hazing and taking advantage of desperate people.
 

adj_noun

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
17,177
What fucking "trust-building" bullshit is this meant to achieve beyond someone's fucked up power fantasy?

"We've been through something awful together, which has strengthened our bond/made us stronger as individuals."

I don't agree with it, but that's the general idea behind hazing.
 

rjinaz

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
28,392
Phoenix
"We've been through something awful together, which has strengthened our bond/made us stronger as individuals."

I don't agree with it, but that's the general idea behind hazing.
Except from what I understand, these employees usually weren't together with the same employees they work with seeing as how it was a 4 day session that was paid for by the employee out of their own pocket. Bonding with people they will never see again?
 

hordak

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,533
Anaheim, CA
Holy fucking shit. If this goes as deep as this implies, I doubt Panda Express could survive
if its mandatory for all panda express employees to do this, then yeah they should be burn to the ground

but if its just one franchise being extra freaky or something then lets put down the pitchforks and torches. either way this should not be a thing. ever.
 

Surakian

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
10,821
Stop buying Panda Express and support your local Chinese restaurants. Y'all should be doing that regardless of this insane news.
 

GoldenEye 007

Roll Tide, Y'all!
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,833
Texas
if its mandatory for all panda express employees to do this, then yeah they should be burn to the ground

but if its just one franchise being extra freaky or something then lets put down the pitchforks and torches. either way this should not be a thing. ever.
Panda Express doesn't franchise, so this is for sure a corporate store. The question is, is this standard corporate practice.
 

rjinaz

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
28,392
Phoenix
if its mandatory for all panda express employees to do this, then yeah they should be burn to the ground

but if its just one franchise being extra freaky or something then lets put down the pitchforks and torches. either way this should not be a thing. ever.
Seems to be a larger company problem
That company, however, "served – in essence – as an extension of Panda Express' own Human Resources department." The seminar, according to court documents, was "bizarre and quickly devolved into psychological abuse.

But I suppose it could be localized.

My question is, how, how could any of these people think something like this would be a good idea in today's climate of people being hyper aware of abuses like this?

Like, there are people probably paid 100s of thousands of dollars a year to prevent lawsuits like this from happening and yet, they didn't see this as a problem? Hire me I'll do it for far less and would have seen this coming from a mile away. Hell, I think almost anybody could.
 

TSM

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,821
My workplace forced me to go to a couple of motivational seminars, that they paid for, and while they were weird they had nothing on what's described here. Motivational speakers are a special breed of bullshitters.
 

freshair

Member
Nov 21, 2017
190
It's even more insane when you go down the rabbit hole. From a comment in /r/LosAngeles

There's a very good reason it reminded you of Scientology. In the seventies, it was a popular Scientology spin-off called EST (Earhart Seminar Training). Werner Earhart was an ex, highly-ranked Scientologist who decided to step out on his own. It was famous for essentially locking people in a room for many hours, while the presenter railed on their every aspect of existence, and they were most famously refused any access to bathroom facilities during that time, with predictable outcomes. As the story goes, people felt great, once they were allowed to leave.

Landmark was also created by Earhart, after he sold EST's intellectual property to several members there. And it's all based on Scientology, and all of it is based further on making money for what is essentially psychological indoctrination, not therapy.
 

Deleted member 49482

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 8, 2018
3,302
This is something where I would be entirely happy with a state attorney general bringing criminal charges against some of the company's senior management. If for no other reason than the fact that this type of training would have been reviewed and approved by several layers with apparently nobody thinking anything was wrong with it.
 

Sendero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
896
Panda Express exists here too.
I can already imagine it being much worse, without the fear of lawsuits.

Hope the story becomes viral soon.
 

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,096
Peru
Whatever happened to regular group gatherings, having a good time, sharing some drinks and stuff like that with coworkers (before covid of course), this is some seriously bizarre shit.
 

Hasseigaku

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,538
That is real standard cult shit, breaking you down emotionally.
I wonder if stuff like NXIVM being on the news has helped make people aware of what they went through.
 

GoldenEye 007

Roll Tide, Y'all!
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,833
Texas
Whatever happened to regular group gatherings, having a good time, sharing some drinks and stuff like that with coworkers (before covid of course), this is some seriously bizarre shit.
In years past, my employer took us to Top Golf and arcade places with laser tag and indoor go karts! Seemed to go over pretty well. And nobody had to be abused!