HUFFMAN, Texas – A lawsuit was filed Monday in Harris County on behalf of a minor who alleges her outcries were ignored after she reported being repeatedly sexually abused and assaulted by her former shift supervisor at a Dairy Queen restaurant in Huffman, Texas.
According to The Simpson Tuegel Law Firm, the lawsuit has been filed against American Dairy Queen Corporation, Elite Restaurant Group, Inc., franchisee LoneStar DQ (collectively, the Dairy Queen defendants), and convicted sex offender, 28-year-old Joshua Flores.
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The plaintiff, who is referred to in the complaint as Jane Doe to protect her identity, alleges that the defendants hired Flores despite his well-documented history of sexual harassment, unwanted touching, and inappropriate behavior while employed at previous jobs.
She further alleges that on numerous occasions, Flores locked her in the restroom, choked her, and forcibly kissed her.
Following weeks of these reported incidents, Flores violently sexually assaulted her and threatened to harm her and her family if she told anyone about the abuse, according to the victim’s attorneys.
The victim said she told a different manager about the abuse and was told to write what happened down on a piece of paper. The lawsuit alleges that the manager then placed the paper in a drawer and failed to report the sexual assault of the minor to authorities, as required by law in the state of Texas.
The young girl was eventually able to tell her mother about the assault and report it to the police. As a result, in the summer of 2022, Flores was criminally charged and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Michelle Simpson Tuegel, a nationally recognized victims’ rights attorney representing the plaintiff, released a statement that read, in part:
“Dairy Queen and its franchisee egregiously failed this young girl, and it is important that minor workers are protected from older and more senior employees on the job.
“Unfortunately, this case is not an isolated incident, but rather emblematic of a larger issue within the restaurant industry. It is our hope that this lawsuit will not only provide some semblance of justice to our client, but also shed light on the urgent need for additional protections for minors in the workplace.
“No child should have to endure sexual abuse, and for our client to have found the courage to report only to be met with indifference is even more devastating. While nothing can heal the trauma this young woman continues to suffer from, we believe there is justice to be served by holding all parties accountable for the roles they played in this heinous crime.”
KPRC 2 reached out to the defendants/corporation for a response. We will update the article once received.