A local woman who claims she was sexually harassed by the owner of Little Joe’s Restaurant has received backing from the Maine Human Rights Commission.

Meeting in Augusta, the commission voted unanimously Monday to find reasonable grounds that Stephanie Dustin was subjected to severe and persistent sexual harassment by Kenneth Daigle while working at his Lewiston restaurant as a waitress and bartender.

The case will go to a compliance officer, who will help the two sides reach a settlement. If a settlement cannot be reached, Dustin has the option of suing the restaurant with support from the commission.

Dustin worked at Little Joe’s on Sabattus Street for about a month last year. She claims that during that time Daigle talked to customers about her legs, told her she would make more tips if she wore dresses, asked her to be his mistress and attempted on more than one occasion to touch her breasts.

Daigle has denied all of Dustin’s allegations.

“I did absolutely nothing wrong,” he said in an earlier interview. “I’m actually the victim here.”

The restaurant owner acknowledged that he paid a $100 fine last year for an assault charge that Dustin pressed against him. The criminal charge stemmed from an incident on Jan. 30, 2002.

Dustin claims she was washing dishes in the kitchen when Daigle walked behind her and put his hand on her buttocks, then her breast. Dustin finished her shift that night, then never returned to work, according to a report by an investigator for the rights commission.

Daigle denied touching Dustin’s buttocks or breast. He said he simply touched her hips to move her out of the way. He denied Daigle’s other allegations.

lchmelecki@sunjournal.com

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