Workers say sex led to firings

Friday, June 16, 2000 | 11:23 a.m.

Two former Venetian hotel-casino employees sued the casino and a security guard, Las Vegas Sands Inc. and Interfacegroup Holding Co., alleging they were wrongfully terminated for what they claim are false accusations that they had sex while working.

In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, Mario Saul Romero and Guadalupe Montenegro, two former Venetian butlers who reported earning hourly wages plus tips from hotel guests totalling $4,500 a month, said they haven't been able to find employment because of the alleged false allegations they say led to their terminations.

The plaintiffs said the Venetian unfairly terminated them based on security officer Larry Doxie's "unsubstantiated testimony" that they had sex in a pantry.

The suit alleged the plaintiffs were restocking a pantry on Feb. 12 and had just finished when they received a call that a butler was required by a Venetian hotel-guest.

Montenegro left via a service elevator, while Romero, who says he had just finished restocking the pantry, "was standing up to retuck his tuxedo shirt into his black work pants," when Doxie entered the pantry, the suit said.

Doxie then told Romero to "stay put and then apprehended Montenegro where she was still waiting for the elevator," and both were sent to the hotel security office where they were charged by Michael Manning, head of security, with engaging in sex and were immediately suspended from work, the suit said.

The plaintiffs, who said the Venetian Team Members' Handbook calls for a peer review if an employee is suspended without pay or fired, alleged they were terminated on Feb. 20 before all levels of the company's disciplinary process was exhausted.

But the Venetian disputed the allegations in a statement Thursday. "Both team members were eligible for peer review but chose not to use it," the Strip resort said.

"The Venetian has a peer review policy which is designed to ensure team members are treated fairly, while at the same time maintaining high standards of performance. The board hears the details of the case from all involved and is empowered to uphold the termination or return the terminated team member to work," the Venetian said.