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A businesswoman has accused her former boss of touching her inappropriately at a drink and drug party before seeing a client rape her in a restroom, according to court documents.
Ella Campbell, 32, is suing two of her former bosses at Sydney-based creative marketing agency Born & Raised over labor law violations and her right to a ‘non-sexually hostile’ work environment.
Ms Campbell worked for Crows Nest, on the city’s Lower North Shore, for a year from January 2018, after being hired as business director.
In federal court documents filed last month, Ms Campbell alleges she was sexually assaulted by Director Chris Laws, alleging he inappropriately touched her twice during staff get-togethers.
In May 2018, Ms Campbell alleges that Mr Laws and the CEO of a new client company allegedly touched her under her dress, outside her underwear, under a table while sitting between them during a work drink at the Ovolo Hotel in Sydney’s inner city .
Ella Campbell, 32, (pictured) has filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court seeking damages and apologies from her former bosses.
Pictured: The former office site for Born & Raised in Crows Nest before the company was sold
Ms Campbell claims that cocaine and alcohol were used at the meeting, which was a regular occurrence at staff events.
In the court documents, she alleges that the client company’s CEO later followed her into the powder room and raped her, and that Mr. Laws entered the cubicle and peered into the adjacent stable.
“(He) observed the CEO client assault but made no attempt to stop it, instead he just watched,” the documents, obtained by the Australianto claim.
Ms Campbell also claims that Mr Laws rubbed her breasts at another work event.
In the documents, she separately alleges that Chris Harris, who was CEO of a group of companies including Born & Raised, Atlas and The Social Party, started bullying her after she started rejecting invitations to regular meetings in his office.
She claims that the meetings, usually held on Thursdays or Fridays, involved the consumption of large amounts of cocaine and only female employees were invited.
Mr Laws and Mr Harris strongly deny the allegations.
Pictured: Chris Laws, former director of creative marketing agency Born & Raised
Pictured: Chris Harris, the CEO of a group of companies including Born & Raised
Ms Campbell claims she was sexually assaulted during staff get-togethers at the Ovolo Hotel (pictured) in Woolloomooloo, Sydney
In court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Ms Campbell claims she should have been protected from discrimination on the grounds of sex and age under the Fair Work Act 2009.
Ms Campbell’s position at Born & Raised was terminated in January 2019, before the company was acquired by Enigma Communications in March of the following year.
In March of this year, Ms Campbell, an outspoken opponent of bad online culture in the workplace, first described parts of her harassment allegations in a Mumbrella article, before naming the men in a LinkedIn message later that month.
Following the allegations, Mr Laws would have resigned from his position as director of Enigma.
Ms Campbell alleges that the agency violated the Fair Work Agreements by taking action against her after she complained of sexual assault, harassment and annual leave.
Ms Campbell claims she was raped in May 2018 by the CEO of a new client of the creative marketing agency she worked for in a toilet cubicle at the Ovolo Hotel.
She also claims to have been misled about the ‘nature, terms and/or conditions of her employment by Born & Raised’.
Apart from an apology from both men, she demands compensation for their behavior and damages for the damage she claims to have suffered.
In a statement to the Daily Mail Australia, Mr Harris said: ‘Ella Campbell has left Born & Raised on good terms. At no point was I made aware of her allegations of sexual assault by others, by her or anyone else, until many years later.
“To the extent that they now make allegations of bullying against me, those allegations are vehemently denied and will be defended.”
Ms Campbell is an outspoken opponent of a bad online workplace culture
Mr Laws said in a statement: “As a matter before the courts, I cannot comment on the details of these horrific allegations except to say that I am looking forward to the legal process proving the difference between impeachment and fact.”
Neither man has been charged with criminal charges.
Ms Campbell said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia: ‘This is a big step for me as I have recently removed myself from public forums to find the space it takes to think long and hard before deciding to proceed. .
“I hope this will be a wake-up call for the entire industry, especially those who lead and control it.”