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Woman Sues Law Firm Supervisor Over Sexual Poetry: "I'm At Your Erotic Disposal"


By

Ben Yakas

Published Jul 13, 2013

Modified Jul 13, 2013


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Tyrone Turner

 


By

Ben Yakas

Published Jul 13, 2013

Modified Jul 13, 2013


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A Brooklyn woman is suing her former law firm mailroom supervisor for sexually harassing her with his erotic poetry. Natalie Thorpe, 31, claims that Tyrone Turner constantly came on to her, often through the laminated and illustrated erotic poetry he would give to her. The lawsuit states: "The poem was explicitly sexual in nature and included the following: I love the way you giggle and the way your body jerks when I trace your tattoos with my tongue and rub you down with warm body oil.” It concluded, "I’m at your erotic disposal."

Thorpe was employed by the outsourcing company Williams Lea and worked at the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft at 1 World Financial Center starting in 2009. She claims one early poem Turner gave her included the line, “I enjoy you so. Your thick legs and all of the voluptuous plumpness that accents your womanhood."

She says in the suit that things escalated in November 2010, when Turner allegedly tried to kiss and hug her, locked her in his office, and asked her to have sex with him on the 35th floor. "Turner also told Thorpe in effect that depending on whether she agreed to go out with him, things could go well for her at work or not so well," the suit states. Thorpe claims Turner gave her a bad recommendation before leaving the company in 2011, and she is also suing Williams Lea for not investigating him after she complained, and for not scrubbing the bad evaluation from her record.

Turner defended himself to the Post, saying he's just someone who performs at poetry slams and often distributex copies of his poems to co-workers. Judging by his online portfolio, Turner certainly has a thing for sexual poetry. But this is yet another reminder that nothing good can come of poetry—all it does is conjure pain, frustration and purple prose in the hands of anyone but a true bard.

Tagged

erotic poetry

law firm

lawsuit

lawyers

poetry

tyrone turner


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

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