ATTORNEY: MASRY MADE SEXUAL ADVANCES TO LAWYER.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer Six months after the youngest lawyer in California history was fired by prominent Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. attorney Ed Masry, she attempted suicide, her attorney said Friday during opening statements in the sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. civil trial against her former boss and the firm. Attorney Daniel Marino painted a portrait of a woman damaged by her hostile work environment A hostile work environment exists when an employee experiences workplace harassment and fears going to work because of the offensive, intimidating, or oppressive atmosphere generated by the harasser. , fired for refusing her boss's romantic advances and unable to get work at another firm because he wouldn't give her a reference. ``She'd lost hope, she was desperate, and she overdosed,'' plaintiff Kissandra Cohen's attorney Marino told jurors Friday. ``This was a person who, prior to meeting Ed Masry, had never had any mental illness.'' Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. alleges sexual harassment and other claims in her lawsuit against Masry - now mayor of Thousand Oaks - and his law firm, seeking unspecified damages in Van Nuys Superior Court. Marino described a lewd and crass work environment during Cohen's brief tenure at the firm whose work was made famous by the eponymous film ``Erin Brockovich.'' Environmental crusader Brockovich also worked at the firm. However, Masry's attorney gave an entirely different perspective. Attorney Norman Watkins said Cohen, a child prodigy Noun 1. child prodigy - a prodigy whose talents are recognized at an early age; "Mozart was a child prodigy" infant prodigy, wonder child child, kid, minor, nipper, tiddler, youngster, tike, shaver, small fry, nestling, fry, tyke - a young person of either who graduated from Duke University at the age of 17, was far from what Masry had been hoping for when he offered her $120,000 a year plus benefits and profit-sharing to join his Westlake Village practice. ``He was bedazzled,'' Watkins said of Masry's initial reaction to Cohen. ``He learned she was the youngest lawyer in California, the youngest lawyer in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. ,'' Watkins said. ``He said, I've got the number one draft pick.'' Cohen is claiming that she endured repeated sexual advances while working at the firm for nine months in 1999, including attempted groping grope v. groped, grop·ing, gropes v.intr. 1. To reach about uncertainly; feel one's way: groped for the telephone. 2. , kissing, lewd jokes and requests to go on vacations and meet privately with Masry after hours Adv. 1. after hours - not during regular hours; "he often worked after hours" , Marino said. Cohen also claims that she was sexually harassed by her immediate supervisor, attorney James Brown, Marino said. Masry's attorney denied the accusations. Watkins pointed to gifts, graduation dinners and favorable media interviews Cohen gave during her employment as evidence of her happiness and job satisfaction. Watkins is expected to resume his opening statement on Monday, going into further detail about Masry's reasons for firing Cohen. |
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