Wynn Resorts Settles Sexual Harassment Suit with Salon Workers

Wynn Resorts Ltd. has come to a settlement agreement with nine anonymous women who had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company in 2019, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

Sexual Harassment Allegations Shook Wynn Resorts

The lawsuit, initially brought forward in 2019, saw nine women who worked as salon staff at Wynn Resorts making allegations of sexual harassment against the company. The women chose to identify themselves in legal documents as “Judy Does Nos. 1-9,” expressing concerns that revealing their real names could lead to defamation suits, workplace ostracization, or the upheaval of their lives.

The complainants accused Steve Wynn, the former CEO and founder of Wynn Resorts, of engaging in a pattern of sexual misconduct and harassment while they were employed at Wynn Salon or Encore Salon. Their claims included explicit descriptions of Steve Wynn’s inappropriate behavior, such as asking intrusive personal questions of a sexual nature, demanding massages near his genital area, and requiring services in secluded areas, including his office.

Although Steve Wynn has consistently denied any wrongdoing, the allegations brought significant scrutiny to the company, leading to his resignation as CEO and chairman in February 2018 and the subsequent sale of his interests in the business. In July 2020, the case faced a setback when US District Judge James Mahan deemed the women’s claims too vague, prompting an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appellate court’s decision, delivered in October 2021, partly affirmed the District Court’s ruling but also called for a reevaluation of certain claims. The case was subsequently returned to the District Court, now under the jurisdiction of US District Court Judge Gloria Navarro.

Wynn Resorts’ Confidential Settlement and Steve Wynn’s Ongoing Legal Battles

After years of legal proceedings and negotiations, the settlement agreement was filed in US District Court this week. The terms of the settlement remain confidential, leaving the exact amount and details undisclosed. 

In a related development, former CEO Steve Wynn has recently pursued legal action of his own. He filed a defamation lawsuit in 2018 against Jorgen Nielsen, a former artistic director of salons at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas, who had alleged sexual harassment in a newspaper article. Steve Wynn’s lawyers argued in the Nevada Court of Appeals that he was wrongly denied a jury trial in this defamation suit.

This resolution comes after Steve Wynn agreed to pay a $10 million fine in July this year to settle claims of sexual misconduct in the workplace brought by gambling regulators in Nevada. It’s important to note that Steve Wynn did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of that settlement.