Worker who reported unwanted touching says Ritz-Carlton punished her instead

What happened next is the part HR leaders will study. In November 2025, the worker says she raised the touching in a workplace WhatsApp group chat. According to the filing, the front office manager – the coach’s own supervisor – told her to delete the message and bring it to him directly. An executive front office operations manager then asked whether she wanted to take it to HR.

The employer moved her to a different shift to cut down on overlap, the complaint says. But by March 2026, it alleges, the massages were back and more aggressive.

Then, the filing says, the pressure turned toward her. It alleges that one manager accused her of being dishonest, another accused her of being homeless, and another publicly yelled at her and accused her of “jumping ship” after she volunteered for extra hours. When she reported being scheduled next to the coach again in May 2026, the worker says a meeting she expected to be about the touching instead focused on an alleged missed shift.

Her record, according to the complaint, was strong – including a perfect score on a required Forbes certification test. Even so, she says the company placed her on a performance improvement plan and blocked her for twelve months from transferring, applying for other roles, or seeking work at any other Marriott International property.

On her doctor’s recommendation, the worker requested and was granted FMLA leave from May 14 through August 14, 2026, the filing says, and she remains employed.