Ex-Esophobee Employee Accuses CEO of Sexual Harassment

A third individual accuses Esophobee’s CEO, Phillip Handsey, of sexual harassment.

ATLANTA — Phillip Handsey, who oversaw the successful launch of the ultra-luxurious 24 carat gold Esophobee Majesty sedan, has been accused of sexual assault by another ex-Esophobee employee. The details of the alleged encounter are not yet known. Her attorney, Rachel Pownlezal, confirmed in a press conference that she is representing the former employee.

Pownlezal stated, “First of all, I want people to know that I’m probably African-American, maybe the blackest person you’ll ever meet. With that said, a former Employee of the Esophobee corporation has retained me to file a personal injury lawsuit against chief executive Phillip Handsey for sexual assault. I’m going to represent the sh*t out of her.” She added, “For as long as I’m black, which should be forever, women will have their voices heard. That’s a promise! Buncha (sic) nasty ass perverts! I’m coming for y’all! In court, obviously. That wasn’t a threat. You can’t prove that was a threat.”

The only publicly available encounter came from a former apprentice to Mr. Handsey, Camilla Garcia. Camilla — to protect her identity, her name was altered — accompanied Mr. Handsey to his summer home after a friend told her she would gain valuable experience. Mr. Handsey’s Hampton home acted as a retreat from which he could develop his next big idea. It was common for employees to join Mr. Handsey on these work trips. Ms. Garcia says her stay at the Hamptons with Mr. Handsey conjured a less than favorable experience for her.

“I was sitting at a desk, looking over some research for the Esophobee Torpedo, when Mr. Handsey walks past me in his robe and enters the bathroom down the hall. He left the door open and hopped into the shower,” she said. “Then, he started calling my name out, louder each time, insisting I meet him in the bathroom. I ignored the calls.” She then stated that Mr. Handsey got out of the shower after about 10 minutes, stomped down the hall, and asked her, “Yo, I was calling your name; why didn’t you come?”

He continued, “I’m sitting in the shower, calling your name like a jackass, waiting for you to show up, and nothing. Do I have to spell it out for you? I’m leveraging my power inappropriately, Ms. Garcia! That’s what this whole trip is about! What? Did you think this was a job where you show up, do your work, get compensated for the work you’ve completed, and even get promoted based on your performance on the job? Uh, think again!”

Then, Ms. Garcia says, his expression softened. “Jesus, I used to be so good at this. Is it me? Have I lost my ability to harass my employees sexually? I was thinking, you know, maybe it’s time for me to stop. I’m in my late 60s, I’m about to become a grandfather for the first time, and my wife has been talking to me about retirement. I guess this might be the end of my sexual harassment days.”

Ms. Garcia says she felt sorry for him and tried to console him. She told him, “Look, I don’t know if this helps, but all of this petrified me.” She says he lit up and responded, “Really? You’re not just saying that, are you? Do I still have the magic touch?” She certainly thought so and assured him that “not only am I petrified, but I will probably fall into a deep depression because of your inappropriate actions today. I’m also going to struggle to report you to Human Resources since you’re a powerful name in the automotive industry. I mean, who’s going to believe me?”

According to Ms. Garcia, Mr. Handsey “smirked boldly, looked into my eyes, and thanked me. He followed up with, ‘You know, I’ll be showering later…’ and I interrupted him and told him to give it a rest already.”

Mr. Handsey addressed a press conference at the Ruler of All building early Monday morning. He said, “Look, I’m sorry if I made anyone feel uncomfortable; that was not my intention. But this is not an asstastic situation [that] I’m dealing with.” He continued, “I’m a little affectionate sometimes. So what? Why is everyone twisting my dick over this sh*t?” Mr. Handsey concluded that he would not resign because he believed he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Update: Philip Handsey was removed by the board of directors seconds after the press conference ended.