Rob Dyrdek’s Company Fighting Ex-Employee’s Claim She Was Mistreated While Pregnant
Jun. 9 2023, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Rob Dyrdek’s company and his business partner are denying harassing a pregnant employee and then firing her after she complained, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the MTV star’s food company Get Mindright Inc. and his business partner Christopher Bernard demanded the lawsuit brought by Courtney Roberson be dismissed.
As we previously reported, earlier this year, Roberson sued Dydrek, Bernard and their company. The woman accused the parties of gender discrimination and harassment.
In her suit, Roberson said she started working at Dydrek’s company in 2020 until she was terminated in January 2023. She claimed the company harassed her after she informed them of her pregnancy in 2022.
“Defendants, including defendant Christopher Bernard, targeted, or engendered a culture that permitted targeting, Plaintiff based on her sex, gender, and pregnancy. As a result, Plaintiff was treated less favorably and unfairly due to her protected characteristics. Based on information and belief, Defendants engaged in a pattern and practice of denying promotions, equal pay, and other employment benefits and opportunities to Plaintiff,” the suit read.
Roberson said she was bothered while on maternity leave by Bernard with work. She claimed after returning to work the harassment continued.
She said her pay was reduced by 40% and she was stripped of her job duties. She accused the company of failing to accommodate her schedule to care for her newborn or for her pregnancy-related condition.
Roberson said she complained about the treatment but nothing was done. “Defendants’ unlawful practices took, and continue to take, a toll on Plaintiff— financially, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Among other things, Plaintiff has experienced sleeplessness, loss of appetite, humiliation, embarrassment, mental anguish, stress and worry, nervousness, loss of self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, shock, feelings of isolation, and loss of enjoyment of life,” the suit read.
She claimed to have been fired in retaliation for her complaint.
Now, in response, Get Mindright Inc. and Bernard are demanding the case be dismissed. The parties deny all allegations of wrongdoing.
Their motion argued Roberson was not an employee of the company but rather an independent contractor. Further, they claim she was never subjected to any form of discrimination, retaliation or hostile work environment. They claim to have first learned of the issues when the complaint was filed.
Dydrek has yet to personally respond to the case.