Five Women Have Sued Monster Energy Over Various Instances of Assault and Abuse

The men accused still have their jobs.

Monster Energy
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TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2015/05/13: Orange can of Monster Energy Ultra Sunrise zero sugar drink at the edge of the table, an outdoor product shot with blurred background. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Monster Energy

Three men at high positions within the multi billion-dollar beverage company Monster Energy are at the center of four lawsuits filed last year involving assault and sexual discrimination, according to an exclusive report by the Huffington Post

The three men: head of music marketing Brent Hamilton, vice president John Kenneally, and manager Phillip Deitrich​. Each of these three men has been accused of actions ranging from assault to inappropriate workplace behavior including bullying and harassment. The women affected by these actions have all since left the company, but the three men have remained at their positions. A fifth lawsuit was also filed back in 2016 by a former female employee who worked in the HR department and claims the harassment she experienced during her time with the company was enabled by the female head of HR Christina Seafort. 

Despite the various lawsuits, Monster has characterized the women who filed them as "disgruntled employees" and believes they hold no merit. "The cases are diverse, unrelated and do not remotely suggest a systemic environment of harassment or discrimination," said Monster in a statement to the Huffington Post. However, the company also claims it has a "zero tolerance" policy for claims of sexual harassment despite denying the claims made within these specific lawsuits. 

Hamilton's actions occurred away from the office. He assaulted his former girlfriend Sarah Rabuse in a Nashville hotel, according to her lawsuit. He is scheduled to appear in a Tennessee court this summer for charges of aggravated assault. A separate lawsuit was also filed by Rabuse in California state court against Hamilton and Monster Energy for negligence, battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The rest of the lawsuits are related to workplace conduct. Jamie Leigh Hogan, a former regional manager for the company, was called "a poor excuse for an employee" and repeatedly challenged in front of her peers by Dietrich, according to her lawsuit. She also alleges she was not given the same benefits or paid the same as her male counterparts. Mary Francis Pulizzi claims she was sabotaged by Keneally while working under him after discussing their poor working relationship with a member of Monster's HR, a department described by the women in the report as a "landmine" that blew up bad situations. Sarah Lozano's reputation with the company was ruined after she was accused of having sex with a married colleague, a situation that would lead to her suffering from anxiety and depression. Page Zeringue claims she was berated by Keneally at work after their romantic relationship turned sour. 

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