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Queens Condo Doorman Claims Super Called Him N-Word AND Tried To Make Out With Him
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 14, 2012
Modified Nov 14, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 14, 2012
Modified Nov 14, 2012
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A doorman at an upscale Queens condo says that he was fired after complainig about the building's superintendent—a super he claims couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to sexually harass him or just harass him with racial epithets. Jerry Laraque claims he was fired from The Foundry in Long Island City after he complained for board members and the property manager that super John Olivieri continually harassed him. That included calling Laraque a "n-----," "monkey," a "black piece of s---," and mocking his Haitian accent and his "big Chicago lips.” And it ALSO included Olivieri allegedly soliciting him for oral sex and twice trying to stick his tongue in Laraque's mouth.
Laraque, who started working at the building as a security guard in 2008 and was promoted to doorman after a few months, said the harassment allegedly started when Olivieri was a painting contractor for the building, and got worse when he was promoted to super. "He humiliated me many times," Laraque told the News, adding that he complained to many people around the building to no avail. "They sent me to the management, back-and-forth, and nothing was done. They don't take it seriously."
Property manager Robert Swiderski says Laraque was fired for poor performance and getting into an argument with another building worker. But Laraque says Swiderski ignored his frequent complaints, saying "I'm not listening to you," and "This is bull----." Perhaps Swiderski thought this was all just another case of a doorman's "seriously misguided effort to be social."
Tagged
doorman
Jerry Laraque
long island city
queens
racism
sexual harassment
the foundry
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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