Sexual
Harassment By Nevada Tourism Panel Leader Alleged
The head of Nevada's
overseas tourism initiatives has been named
in a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former employee.
Bruce Bommarito, executive director
of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, was named
in the suit filed in U.S. District Court in
Reno last month by Reno resident Teri Schloemer,
who had the title of North American tour manager
until she was fired in late June.
In recent years, Bommarito has led the state's
efforts to develop tourism offices in China.
Schloemer is of Asian descent.
In the suit, filed by the Reno law firm of
Bradley Drendel & Jeanney, Schloemer accuses
Bommarito of arranging for them to dine together
"in inappropriate romantic locations,"
including the Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris-Las
Vegas, and buying her perfume, jewelry and wine.
She said Bommarito once declared his love for
her and stated that he would want to date her
if she was not his employee.
Bommarito, in Las Vegas this week for several
meetings, said he would be exonerated in court
and that he always treats his employees with
respect and that Schloemer was a disgruntled
former employee.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Bommarito
said.
According to the suit, Schloemer said she was
hired by Bommarito's predecessor, Tom Tait,
in August 1999 and worked at the Commission
on Tourism's office in Carson City.
The suit says when Bommarito became her boss
upon Tait's departure, he required her to attend
meetings and to join various committees with
him as a pretext to spending more time together.
Bommarito required her to travel with him in
his personal vehicle rather than having her
go separately or with other NCOT staff. The
suit says Bommarito required her "to sit
next to him and, at times, he arranged for the
parties to sit away from the group where Bommarito
drank alcoholic beverages."
But the suit says things changed when Schloemer
did not respond favorably to his advances. The
suit says when Bommarito "had occasion
to see (her) relating to other males, he became
openly enraged and verbally attacked (her) in
front of all present."
The suit says Bommarito became abusive in his
office and, on one occasion, verbally berated
her "to the point of reducing her to tears,
at which point he approached (her) from behind,
placed his arms around her and declared his
love" for her.
The suit says Schloemer took her complaints
to the Commission on Tourism's human resources
manager and when Bommarto learned that she had
made a sexual harassment complaint, he retaliated
by increasing his hostilities and withdrawing
many of her responsibilities.
In the suit, Schloemer said she was placed
on administrative leave after being falsely
accused of misappropriation of funds. The allegations
were made public and on June 27, she was fired.
She said she received no opportunity to clear
her name.
Bommarito said he could not disclose details
about the circumstances of Schloemer's firing.
Schloemer took her complaints to the Nevada
Equal Rights Commission, which issued a notice
of right to sue in May.
The suit includes nine claims for damages and
seeks an order for reinstatement and general
and special compensatory damages in excess of
$50,000 as well as unspecified punitive and
exemplary damages, plus attorney's fees.
Among the claims for relief are for violation
of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
negligent hiring, retention and supervision,
slander, libel, breach of contract and infliction
of emotional distress.
In an interview, Schloemer said she is unemployed,
but that her position with the Commission on
Tourism was her "dream job." She has
been in the tourism industry for 20 years and
once worked for Planet Hollywood International.
She said her trouble at work led to a break-up
with a boyfriend though there was no sexual
relationship with Bommarito.
Bommarito said the suit would be defended by
the state Attorney General's Office. An answer
has yet to be filed in the case.
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