The lawsuit was filed by a former carhop, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by former Rangeline Sonic supervisor Chris Alred and that the business had a culture of sexual harassment that led to her assault and the assault of another underage carhop.
The terms of the settlement were not included in court documents and will not be released, the plaintiff's father, who told the Turner Report the settlement included a "pretty restrictive" confidentiality agreement. (Note: The plaintiff's name is not being used because the Turner Report does not print the names of sexual assault victims.)
Settlements in sexual harassment lawsuits are nothing new for Sonic, which because of its reliance on teenage carhops has been sued numerous times over the past few years, though this was the first time Rangeline Sonic had been sued.
Neither are confidential agreements.
History of sexual harassment lawsuits against Sonic
One settlement that was not confidential was the $2 million the company had to pay workers at the Los Lunas, New Mexico, Sonic on June 15, 2011.
The events that led to that settlement were described in the September 14, 2017 Turner Report:
Robert Gomez was the fast food manager from hell.
Gomez never told his underage female employees that the restaurant had a procedure for reporting sexual harassment.
He never had the opportunity because, according to court records, he was too busy sexually harassing them.
The complaint against him accused him of grabbing the teenagers' breasts and bottoms, trying to unfasten bras, dropping ice down their shirts, humping them from behind, asking them to go into the walk-in freezer and perform oral sex on him and that was just for starters.
Gomez asked the teenage girls if they wanted to hold his sex organ, the court document says and he referred to the girls as "stupid bitches" and "drunken whores."
The girls complained to assistant managers and crew leaders, but no action was taken.
Even after an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigator checked out the situation, Gomez' behavior continued. He retaliated against those who complained and some quit rather then endure the harassment.
On June 15, 2011, the EEOC announced that the Sonic Drive-In of Los Lunas, New Mexico, would pay 70 workers, many of them the teenagers Gomez had been harassed, others older female workers who had suffered the same treatment $2 million, the largest settlement ever recorded by the Albuquerque EEOC office.
The Grapevine, Texas Sonic had to pay $31,000 to the plaintiff, but in all other cases examined by the Turner Report, the settlements were confidential, including the following recent cases:
-Sonic reached an agreement to pay 16-year-old carhop S. E. for harassment that took place after she was hired by the Tracy, California, franchise in 2015. Court documents indicate S. E.'s manager was grabbing her hips, thighs, and hands and continued badgering her for dates, though she made it clear she was not interested. The manager was also harassing other female employees. S. E. reported the harassment to another supervisor and was fired for taking a selfie of herself at work, a violation of company policy.
-Sexual harassment began for Kaylee Thompson at the Piedmont, Oklahoma Sonic after a new supervisor arrived in February 2015. attempting to lure her to a secluded area to have sex. When she complained, her hours were cut, she was moved to a lower paying job, and one month later she was fired. Sonic settled with Thompson for an undisclosed amount.
The Rangeline Sonic case
Though the local case has been settled, the assault that led the former Rangeline Sonic carhop to file her case is still winding its way slowly through Jasper County Circuit Court, where Chris Alred is charged with statutory sodomy.
The atmosphere at Rangeline Sonic and Alred's alleged actions were described in the lawsuit petition.
The teenager began working at the Sonic in late spring 2015 and heard "various sexual jokes made between managers and staff, including minors."
It was not long before she became the target of sexual jokes, the lawsuit says, and was referred to as "a slut" because she had been involved in a relationship at one time with another car hop.
Alred, 32, began working at Sonic in late 2015 and quickly became known for his "volatile temper" and began making sexual jokes about the teen. She reported his behavior to supervisor Frances Bentz who said the "jokes were inappropriate, but did nothing to stop the conduct," according to the petition.
About that same time, another manager pressured her into having sex and told her "if she reported his conduct to anyone he would make sure she got fired."
For a time, Alred was transferred to another Sonic, but he called the girl and asked her to come to his Joplin apartment where his wife was home at the time. During their conservation, Alred told the teen that "she was on her way to owning her own store" and that every partner chooses one good person to run a store and that she was that person, the lawsuit says.
During the conversation, the petition says, Alred, whose wife was asleep in another room at the time, began making inappropriate comments about another underage carhop who he found attractive.
The teen said she needed to leave. He took her to her vehicle, then go tin and told her to drive away from the apartments and park.
What happened next is described in the Joplin Police Department probable cause statement:
After that, he roughly used her until the act was completed.
The next day she told one of her managers, Portland Keough, what had happened, according to the petition. "So that's why you were being such a bitch," he responded. No action was taken, but he joked about how Alred was returning to the Rangeline Sonic and that wouid be "fun" for the girl.
The girl reported Alred, but he was allowed to return. The lawsuit says the other underage girl Alred said he was attracted told the plaintiff she began receiving text messages from Alred.
The lawsuit says Alred not only returned to Rangeline Sonic, but often supervised the shifts she was working.
Management not only did not deal with the Alred situation and the pervasive sexual harassment atmosphere, but threatened to fire the plaintiff, the lawsuit says.
The other underage girl told the plaintiff she had been raped by Alred. Again, Alred was reported with one manager saying the girl "tried to f--k a manager and then cried rape."
Distressed by everything that was happening, the plaintiff attempted suicide, according to the lawsuit.
She finally decided to report Alred to authorities after learning he had been given a Sonic in Springfield to run.
The two-count lawsuit alleged harassment and retaliation.
In addition to Rangeline Sonic, the company that owns it, D. L. Rogers Corporation, Bentz, Keough, and another supervisor Chris Cote were listed as defendants.
Though the local case has been settled, the assault that led the former Rangeline Sonic carhop to file her case is still winding its way slowly through Jasper County Circuit Court, where Chris Alred is charged with statutory sodomy.
The atmosphere at Rangeline Sonic and Alred's alleged actions were described in the lawsuit petition.
The teenager began working at the Sonic in late spring 2015 and heard "various sexual jokes made between managers and staff, including minors."
It was not long before she became the target of sexual jokes, the lawsuit says, and was referred to as "a slut" because she had been involved in a relationship at one time with another car hop.
About that same time, another manager pressured her into having sex and told her "if she reported his conduct to anyone he would make sure she got fired."
For a time, Alred was transferred to another Sonic, but he called the girl and asked her to come to his Joplin apartment where his wife was home at the time. During their conservation, Alred told the teen that "she was on her way to owning her own store" and that every partner chooses one good person to run a store and that she was that person, the lawsuit says.
During the conversation, the petition says, Alred, whose wife was asleep in another room at the time, began making inappropriate comments about another underage carhop who he found attractive.
The teen said she needed to leave. He took her to her vehicle, then go tin and told her to drive away from the apartments and park.
What happened next is described in the Joplin Police Department probable cause statement:
In the east parking lot of 1715 S. Rex Avenue, in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, Christopher E. Alred told (the victim) who was (16) at that time to perform oral sex on him. Christopher E. Alred walked her to her vehicle and sat in the passenger seat. (She) was in the driver's seat. (He) removed his penis from his pants and put his hand on the back of (her) head."
After that, he roughly used her until the act was completed.
The next day she told one of her managers, Portland Keough, what had happened, according to the petition. "So that's why you were being such a bitch," he responded. No action was taken, but he joked about how Alred was returning to the Rangeline Sonic and that wouid be "fun" for the girl.
The girl reported Alred, but he was allowed to return. The lawsuit says the other underage girl Alred said he was attracted told the plaintiff she began receiving text messages from Alred.
The lawsuit says Alred not only returned to Rangeline Sonic, but often supervised the shifts she was working.
Management not only did not deal with the Alred situation and the pervasive sexual harassment atmosphere, but threatened to fire the plaintiff, the lawsuit says.
The other underage girl told the plaintiff she had been raped by Alred. Again, Alred was reported with one manager saying the girl "tried to f--k a manager and then cried rape."
Distressed by everything that was happening, the plaintiff attempted suicide, according to the lawsuit.
She finally decided to report Alred to authorities after learning he had been given a Sonic in Springfield to run.
The two-count lawsuit alleged harassment and retaliation.
In addition to Rangeline Sonic, the company that owns it, D. L. Rogers Corporation, Bentz, Keough, and another supervisor Chris Cote were listed as defendants.
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