Panda Express workers forced to strip in 'cult-like' team-building seminar, lawsuit alleges

[Yavin4]

A former employee of a Panda Express in Santa Clarita alleges she was required to strip down to her underwear and hug a partially clad co-worker during a “cult-like ritual” at a 2019 training seminar sponsored by the company as a prerequisite to promotion.

The 23-year-old woman is suing Panda Restaurant Group, headquartered in Rosemead, and Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy in Pico Rivera for sexual battery, a hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Although the woman is named in court documents, the Southern California News Group does not identify suspected victims of sexual assault.

https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2021/03/08/panda-express-workers-forced-to-strip-in-cult-like-team-building-seminar-lawsuit-alleges/

[kysrsoze]

1. There's something really depraved about some of the people here

I’m a Santa Clarita resident, and I’m stunned with some of the weirdness here. Many in town here are self-professed Christians, yet they are huge Dumpers with public Dump gatherings, lifted trucks with stupid flags and stickers, etc.

The town has a sordid history of swingers that apparently lives on to this day (hey, to each their own, I guess). But this thing with Panda Express on Golden Valley Rd is just disturbing.

We’ve also had a huge gathering of 2,000+ whacko partying maskless idiots proclaiming themselves religious worshippers. I now describe this town as perverts masquerading as puritans. But isn’t that always the case? A lot of these freaks talk about moving to Idaho. I sure as hell hope so.

[PoliticAverse]

2. It's Panda Express not Panda Undress!! n/t

[Irish_Dem]

3. The article describes many abusive and threatening behaviors towards participants.

This was crazy and certainly not the way to build managerial skills.
Also mentions people vomiting, and I wonder if that was on purpose in terms of tainted food or drink.

[GemDigger]

4. My chin just hit the desk.

Two minutes later it is still hung open.

That would have flipped my bitch switch so damn fast it would have knocked their head off without laying a hand on them.