Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.
King of clubs: Michael Morton, co-founder of the N9NE Group, is shown at Nove Italiano restaurant, one of his seven venues at the Palms.
Sun Archives
- George Maloof, Michael Morton reach settlement, part ways (1-4-2011)
- Palms steps up allegations against nightclub operator (11-27-2010)
- N9NE Group exec scores early legal win against disgruntled investors (11-8-2010)
- Disgruntled investors aim more complaints at N9NE Group chief (11-6-2010)
- Embattled restaurant, nightclub operator fires back at Palms (10-30-2010)
- Palms, N9NE Group investors seek ouster of restaurant, club manager (10-22-2010)
Attorneys for Las Vegas restaurateur Michael Morton are fighting back in a lawsuit alleging an employee of the N9NE Group was sexually harassed and was fired after rejecting and complaining about the advances of male executives.
Leslie Culler filed the suit in December. Culler said she was fired in July from her position as art director for the N9NE Group, which runs popular restaurants and nightclubs at the Palms hotel-casino.
The suit was filed while Morton was entangled in litigation with the Palms and disgruntled N9NE Group investors. Morton has since left the N9NE Group and runs La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas.
Culler's lawsuit claimed she was harassed by Morton, Morton’s longtime business partner Scott DeGraff and N9NE Group executive Bronson Olimpieri.
DeGraff and Olimpieri have not yet filed court papers responding to the suit.
Attorneys for Morton and Nine Group Management filed their response last week, denying Culler's allegations and writing in their response "Disciplinary actions taken against plaintiff, including termination, were based upon legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons."
Morton's attorneys also asserted:
-- Culler failed to report the alleged sexual harassment while at the N9NE Group.
-- Culler "unreasonably failed to take advantage of any preventative or corrective opportunities provided by defendants in response to the alleged sexual harassment or other alleged behavior identified in her complaint."
-- "Defendants exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior or other harassing behavior."
-- "The sexual harassment or misconduct alleged by the plaintiff against these answering defendants, if any, was not harassing, as any such conduct was consensual and welcomed by the plaintiff."
Culler's attorney has not yet responded to these assertions.
Morton and Nine Group Management are represented in the litigation by attorneys with the Las Vegas office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig.
