Restaurant chain Chuck E Cheese is facing four lawsuits over alleged sexual harassment by its upper management in West Virginia.
Four former employees of CEC Entertainment, the parent of Chuck E Cheese, have filed separate lawsuits against the restaurant chain, claiming they were “systemically subjected to sexual harassment” despite numerous reports to upper management.
The alleged harasser is Ryan Slade, GM of a Chuck E Cheese location in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to Bailess Law Firm, Kylie Wright was the first to speak out against Chuck E Cheese. Wright, who worked at the restaurant for nine months when she was 17, claims Slade attempted to “groom her for a sexual relationship” and physically violated her on different occasions.
The chain continued to employ Slade despite Wright’s mother contacting its corporate office to report the case.
The second plaintiff, Mary Smith, claims she had a similar experience when she worked at the restaurant while in high school in 2023.
Smith, who was 16 at the time, alleges Slade groomed her by giving her preferential treatment, such as buying her food while she worked and letting her leave early. She adds that the GM “inappropriately touched her on multiple occasions” at the restaurant and made her feel uncomfortable with offensive comments about her body.
Kelsie Vasquez, who worked at the restaurant last January, claims Slade acted “sexually aggressive by discussing lewd acts at the restaurant, invading her personal space with unwanted touching, and alluding to wanting to have sex with her because she was pregnant”.
Ian Cooper, who was assistant manager under Salde, claims he alerted Chuck E Cheese corporate management in 2021 about the GM’s inappropriate behavior. His complaint alleges Slade violated teenagers and mothers with children dining at the restaurant by remarking on their bodies, as well as getting “touchy-feely” with female employees.
Cooper’s lawsuit states he was retaliated against when he escalated his concerns by going to the next level of management. According to the complaint, less than 30 days after reporting the sexually hostile working conditions, Cooper was given disciplinary actions by Slade that led to the termination of his employment.
Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Texas, Chuck E Cheese and its franchisees operate nearly 600 locations in 47 states and 17 foreign countries and territories.
