Lawsuit From Former Mokena Rosati's Cashier Claims Sexual Harassment By Boss

A former cashier at the Mokena Rosati's filed a lawsuit alleging the restaurant owner sexually harassed her and then fired her when she complained after only 16 days on the job.

Joliet resident Jennifer Johnson's suit named Rosati's owner Mushtaq Kanchwala and the three restaurants he owns as defendants. Kanchwala owns the Rosati's restaurants in Mokena, Lemont and Lockport, the suit said.

Kanchwala hired Johnson to work for him as a cashier in Aug. 12, 2011, and she was assigned to the Mokena and Lockport restaurants, the lawsuit said. The sexual harassment allegedly cropped up right from her start at the restaurants.

"Beginning immediately upon her hire and up to her termination, (Johnson) was subjected to a repeated pattern of differential treatment on the basis of her sex and sexual harassment by her supervisor, Kanchwala," said the lawsuit, which was filed in Will County court.

The lawsuit detailed 17 alleged examples of Kanchwala's harassment. They were, according to the suit:

• "Being asked personal questions about her marital status and children in (Kanchwala's) interview."
• "Requiring her to wear a tank top as her uniform."
• "Telling her to buy more tight jeans to wear to work."
• "Touching her on her arm and middle and lower back."
• "Brushing his body past her instead of asking her to move."
• "Asking her about her husband and her sex life."
• "Asking her if she missed him."
• "Asking her if he could come over to her house with money and alcohol."
• "Asking her if she found him attractive."
• "Asking her for sex in exchange for money."
• "Offering to be her 'sugar daddy.'"
• "Telling her nobody needs to know if she had sex with him for money."
• "Asking her to go to a hotel with him for sex."
• "Scheduling her to work in the store alone on the days he worked at Lockport."
• "Requiring her to work at Mokena when he worked there, and ... "
• "Cutting her hours and terminating her after she opposed the sexual harassment and made complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination."