Lawsuit Claims Sex Harassment, Cultish Behavior

Sperm bank employee claims he was fired after refusing boss' sexual advances.

ByABC News
May 22, 2008, 12:42 PM

May 23, 2008— -- A former marketing director for a high-priced sperm bank that caters to gay and lesbian couples claims he was fired after he rebuffed the CEO's alleged sexual advances and refused to attend "personal-growth" seminars.

In a lawsuit filed in New York, Scott Glasgow says he was pressured into sharing a bed on company trips with his boss, Growing Generations CEO Stuart Miller. The lawsuit also claims that Miller sent Glasgow pictures of himself shirtless, wearing bondage attire and holding a whip, and forced Glasgow to perform in drag on a company trip.

Through his attorneys, Glasgow declined to elaborate. "We stand by the allegations contained in the complaint and we look forward to proving them at trial," said one of Glasgow's attorneys, Brent Pelton.

Growing Generations' lawyer did not immediately return a message left at his office.

Simon Halls, a consultant who said he was speaking on behalf of the company, called the suit "ridiculous" and declined to comment further.

The company, based in Los Angeles, charges as much as $100,000 and has celebrity clients including B.D. Wong of the television show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," according to published profiles of the company. It provided the first surrogacy program for men in 1994.

Glasgow, who made $1,000 a week as Growing Generations' New York-based marketing director, claims he excelled at the company until he refused to attend Landmark Education seminars and turned down Miller's unwanted advances.

"Miller's interest in Glasgow changed from one of a professional nature to one of an inappropriate romantic nature," the lawsuit says.

Miller booked a single king size bed for the two men on a company cruise and a trip to New Orleans, the lawsuit says. During that trip, according to the lawsuit, Glasgow awoke in the middle of the night and Miller was caressing his head.

Glasgow also claims he was forced to attend Landmark Education seminars, an offshoot of Werner Erhard's EST program, which Glasgow describes as "religious" programs.

Glasgow claims that company employees were required to attend the seminars and that Miller allegedly said Landmark is "very much the language of the company."

He said that he was evaluated by how he was "touching, moving and inspiring" others, according to the Landmark philosophy, and not by his business accomplishments.