Dr. Dre is a wealthy hip hop mogul, which may be the understatement of the month. Dre reaped an astounding $3 billion in the 2014 Apple / Beats deal, and that’s only one of his successful business ventures. So, it’s not unexpected that he would pay his housekeeping staff $1,870 per week. Without accounting for bonuses or possible benefits, that amount adds up to nearly $100,000 per year.
Dre’s former main housekeeper, Raquel Sagustume, says she was unfairly fired from her position earlier this year. Sagustume held her job for over a year, but Dre reportedly let her go when she landed in the hospital. She claims her health problems were directly related to on-the-job harassment — not from Dre but from other staff members. The details come down from New York Daily News, which has obtained a copy of the lawsuit:
Sagustume sued the rap mogul in Los Angeles this week claiming she was bullied by other household staff during a 13-month stint that ended in February. Sagustume said the other staffers – two female cousins – felt threatened by her skill level and unfairly delegated their own work to her, causing her physical strain and injury.
The housekeeper said she suffered “burning pain” in her neck, arms and back and eventually developed so much anxiety in the toxic work environment that she had trouble breathing during one bout of bullying and landed in a hospital.
According to Sagustume, Dre and his wife, Nicole Young, are responsible for the harassment, as they reportedly did not prevent it. Sagustume also claims she missed out on overtime, vacations, and work breaks. Since she was a salaried employee (making a very generous amount), it will be difficult for Sagustume to make a case for omissions related to her hours, but the harassment claims present different possibilities. Sagustume also wants punitive damages because she continues to suffer stress-related issues relating to her termination. In any case, this is a civil suit, so it will likely be settled out of court.
(Via New York Daily News)
