Texas Dealership Manager Creates Workplace Nightmare

You can’t make this stuff up! Car salesman, Brett Bland, at CT Motors, Inc., operating as AutoNation Acura Gulf Freeway in League City is suing his former co-worker, Jeremy Pratt, and the dealership’s parent company after he claims he faced a series of abuses (including intentional flatulence and pinched nipples) for over a year.

Bland states in the lawsuit that Pratt’s behavior included “constant taunting, inappropriate banter and making extremely crass, vulgar and rude comments to or at the expense of him,” creating a “sexually hostile environment” at work and on social media.

Bland claims Pratt “reinforced dominance over his subordinates by regularly entering their enclosed offices, intentionally passing gas, and then laughing as they were forced to breathe soiled air.” According to the lawsuit, Pratt’s behavior was tolerated and that “open(ed) the door” to nastier behavior.

According to the lawsuit, Pratt was eventually fired after he sent a flyer to the entire dealership insinuating that Bland was a sex offender, which he is not.

After Pratt’s termination, the lawsuit claims Bland faced immediate retaliation. He says he was told he would be fired if he failed to sell eight vehicles per month.

The lawsuit also claims “management continues to allow Pratt to loiter at the dealership” and that he continues to harass Bland and other former subordinates. Although the lawsuit does not state a dollar figure Bland is seeking, it does list damages and court costs as relief.