Judge says Dallas real estate CEO must pay $5.7 million in sexual harassment suit
The CEO of a Dallas real estate agency must pay $5.7 million in damages to a female employee who he sexually harassed and assaulted, according to court documents.
Robert Lovell of Dallas-based Home Marketing Services coerced the employee into performing sex acts on him “as a condition” of her employment, according to the documents.
Lovell coerced the employee, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, by threatening to withhold payment for her daughter’s health insurance premiums.
Additionally, when Doe complied with Lovell’s demands for sex acts, he provided her with better-quality sales leads, according to the documents.
The ongoing harassment caused the employee to suffer anxiety, depression and insomnia, according to the documents. The woman also lost so much hair that she now has to wear wigs.
An adult daughter of Doe’s also worked for the real estate agency and, after giving birth to a child, was harassed by Lovell, who commented on the size of her breasts and said he wondered what her milk tasted like, the lawsuit states.
After the harassment of her daughter, Doe told Lovell she would no longer comply with his sexual demands, and Lovell retaliated by canceling the daughter’s health insurance.
The judge also found that Lovell knowingly exposed the plaintiff to bodily fluids during sexual acts without her knowledge or consent, and ruled that that action constituted sexual assault.
Lovell is the first CEO to be held personally liable for sexual harassment under a 2021 law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, the woman’s lawyers said.
“This judgment sends a message: executives and employees who sexually harass employees and then retaliate when those employees stand up for themselves will face significant consequences,” attorney Rogge Dunn said.
Contact information for Lovell’s attorneys was not immediately available Tuesday evening.
