A Compass Group USA employee has sued the company and its operating subsidiary, CulinArt, alleging she repeatedly raised concerns about her supervisor, requested a transfer, and expressed fears for her safety before ultimately resigning.
The lawsuit, filed June 3 in federal court in Manhattan, claims HR personnel and managers failed to take effective action despite multiple complaints. The complaint includes claims of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, constructive discharge, assault, and battery under federal, New York state, and New York City law.
The allegations have not been tested in court, the defendants have not yet filed a response, and no court has ruled on the claims. The complaint places the company’s response to employee complaints at the centre of the case.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, remained working alongside the supervisor she accused despite requesting a transfer and expressing fears for her safety. The lawsuit alleges that Compass Group USA and CulinArt failed to adequately address those concerns, allegations the companies will have an opportunity to contest during the litigation.
What Is the Lawsuit About?
Jane Doe says she was hired in December 2024 as a Room Service Associate at a Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer-care facility operated through Compass Group USA and CulinArt.
Court filings describe a relationship between Doe and her supervisor that she claims later became unhealthy and abusive. The supervisor is not named as a defendant.
The case, however, places significant focus on how the company responded after concerns were brought to management and human resources. A coworker reportedly alerted HR to the relationship in March 2025, leading Doe to submit a written statement and seek a transfer away from the supervisor.
She claims the request was denied and that she continued working alongside him despite raising repeated concerns. The complaint states that she later told HR personnel she feared for her safety and sought further assistance, but no effective intervention followed.
Court documents further contend that some managers dismissed or downplayed her concerns and that internal investigations failed to substantiate complaints she raised. The filing also maintains that the supervisor remained employed throughout the period in question and that the pair were never separated in the workplace.
The dispute reached a turning point in August 2025 following an incident outside the workplace that involved police. Days later, Doe obtained a Temporary Order of Protection before resigning from her position, citing ongoing harassment.
None of the allegations have been tested in court. Compass Group USA and CulinArt have not yet filed responses to the complaint, and no judge has ruled on the merits of the claims.
When Can HR Inaction Become Part of the Legal Case?
While the allegations against the supervisor form the basis of the complaint, much of the lawsuit focuses on how the company responded once concerns were raised. The filing describes a series of reports to HR and management over several months, including requests for a transfer and statements that the plaintiff feared for her safety, yet claims she continued working alongside the supervisor throughout that period.
Questions surrounding who received complaints, how concerns were investigated, whether workplace safeguards were considered, and what actions were taken in response can become just as important as the underlying allegations.
Here, the plaintiff argues that repeated warnings failed to produce meaningful intervention, while the defendants will have an opportunity to challenge those claims as the case proceeds. The allegations illustrate why complaint-handling procedures, workplace investigations, and employee-safety concerns can become central issues once litigation begins.
From Transfer Request to Resignation
A key part of the dispute concerns what happened after the plaintiff asked to be moved away from the supervisor. Court filings state that she sought a transfer after concerns were raised with HR, yet remained assigned to the same workplace while continuing to report problems.
The transfer request features prominently in the complaint and forms part of the plaintiff’s account of events leading to her resignation. By that stage, she says she had already raised concerns internally and was looking for a way to create distance between herself and the supervisor. Instead, she contends that she continued working alongside him despite repeated complaints and expressions of concern for her safety.
Events are alleged to have escalated further in August 2025 following an incident outside the workplace that involved police. The plaintiff subsequently obtained a Temporary Order of Protection and resigned days later, citing ongoing harassment.
The constructive discharge claim is tied to the chain of events that preceded her resignation, including the complaints she made, her requests for assistance, and the company’s alleged response.
The Response Became Part of the Dispute
The complaint alleges that concerns were raised repeatedly to HR and management over several months, including requests for a transfer and statements that the plaintiff feared for her safety. It further claims that she continued working alongside the supervisor and that no effective intervention followed.
Compass Group USA and CulinArt have not yet responded to the allegations, and no court has ruled on the claims. The complaint also alleges that the companies operated as joint employers and shared responsibility for human resources functions.