Bijan Boutique Sued by Former Employee

The Beverly Hills boutique was sued Thursday by a former employee who alleges that she was sexually harassed by the store's late founder, , and fired for complaining.

Brittany Anderson filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. She also alleges retaliation and discrimination based on race, and is seeking unspecified damages.

In addition to the shop, Anderson names the estate of Pakzad as a defendant. Pakzad opened his exclusive fashion boutique on North Rodeo Drive in 1976. He died in April 2011.

A woman who answered the phone at Bijan said there would be no comment on the suit.

Anderson worked for Bijan from April 2009 to May 2011 designing advertisements and retouching photos. Bijan bills itself as "the most expensive store in the world," according to the lawsuit.

As a seller of luxurious men's clothing, Bijan representatives have dressed such luminaries as President Barack Obama, former presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, actors Tom Cruise and Anthony Hopkins, and former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, the lawsuit states. The store also sells jewelry and fragrances.

According to the complaint, before Pakzad died he often flirted with Anderson, told her that he preferred her body over that of her co-workers, regularly said he wanted her sexually and tried to kiss her on the lips. When Anderson told Pakzad she was moving in with her boyfriend, she hoped he would stop harassing her, the suit states. Instead, Pakzad retaliated by demoting her and taking away some of her job duties, according to the suit.

The lawsuit states that Anderson was fired for protesting her treatment and because the boutique had a preference for hiring Persian employees.

This report was compiled with information from City News Service.

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