An employee at a Ford plant in Chicago was raped by her supervisor and sexually assaulted by at least five other co-workers before she was fired for complaining about the attacks, according to an explosive lawsuit filed this week against the auto giant.
Paulette Hyneman, 43, of Glenwood, Ill., also alleged in the federal court filing that she and other women at the plant were subjected to repeated instances of sexual misconduct, including unwanted advances, catcalls, nude imagery including photos of penises, and men watching pornographic clips on their phones.
Hyneman is one of more than three dozen women who have come forward in recent years to complain of rampant sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the Ford plant, according to The New York Times.
Ford has paid millions of dollars to settle claims brought forth by women who allege they were victims of sexual misconduct at the plant.
“Ford is fully committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity and diversity in all of its facilities nationwide,” the company told The Post in a statement.
“Ford adheres to a comprehensive and zero-tolerance anti-harassment policy: harassment and discrimination are completely against our culture and cannot be tolerated.”
The company added: “When complaints of harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct are raised, our policy is to promptly investigate and address those complaints as warranted.”
“Ford cannot comment on specific litigation or personnel matters at this time,” the company said.
Hyneman, who was hired as an assembler at the Ford plant in 2012, alleged in the court filing that she and other women witnessed Ford employees having sex in their cars on the grounds of the workplace parking lot as well as in the union hall.
She alleged that Will Robinson, a supervisor at the facility, exposed himself to her and forced her to perform oral sex, according to court papers.
If she refused his demands, Robinson threatened her with termination, it was alleged in the court filing.
In December 2020, Robinson allegedly “came to [Hyneman’s] home uninvited, physically forcing her into her bedroom at which point he raped her,” according to the court filing.
During the alleged rape, Hyneman “was crying and visibly upset,” at which point Robinson “asked her if she was ‘okay’…”
When Hyneman responded that she was not okay, Robinson “proceed[ed] to continue his sexual assault,” it was alleged in court documents.
Robinson allegedly warned Hyneman that if she complained about the alleged rape, she would be fired, according to court documents.
Hyneman then allegedly telephoned Robinson’s girlfriend “to complain about his conduct with the hope that the girlfriend would confront Robinson and put a stop to his conduct,” according to court papers.
In response to the alleged phone call, Robinson “confronted [Hyneman] in the workplace during working hours and punched her in the face,” according to court papers.
According to the lawsuit, Ford terminated Robinson after it was determined that he had carried on a consensual relationship with Hyneman — a claim that her attorney denies.
Hyneman’s attorney told The Post that she did not file a police report because the authorities in her hometown of Glenwood told her she needed to submit paperwork with the Chicago Police Department.
Contact information for Robinson was not immediately available.
The lawsuit names at least five other co-workers who are alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct, including Ron Woods, a supervisor who “physically grabbed, groped, and assaulted” Hyneman in January 2021, according to the court filing.
The Post was unable to reach Woods before publication.
Another supervisor, Buck Owens, is alleged to have made “unsolicited offers to take [Hyneman] shopping in exchange for sex” as well as called her “pet names” such as “little britches.”
When Hyneman refused Owens’ alleged advances, Owens is alleged to have “move[d] [Hyneman] to more difficult jobs within the plant,” it was alleged in court documents.
Owens died in 2015.
Torry Burrel, a co-worker at the plant, is alleged to have “forcibly kissed” Hyneman while another colleague, George Fields, “expose[d] their penis” to her, it was alleged in the court filing.
Burrel and Fields, both of whom are still believed to be working at the plant, were not immediately available for comment.
Hyneman alleged in the court filing that Ford fired her in June 2021 in retaliation for complaining about the repeated instances of alleged sexual misconduct, according to court papers.
She alleged that the company’s retaliation also stemmed from Hyneman’s refusal to “lie” for Ford during her testimony in a legal proceeding that stemmed from a June 2016 altercation between two employees.
One employee, William Cowart, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery after he shot two other men near the union hall, according to the suit.
One of the shooting victims, Jeff Bacon, allegedly punched Cowart, prompting him to retaliate with a firearm.
According to Hyneman’s lawsuit, two Ford supervisors allegedly wanted her to testify that “she did not feel comfortable working with Cowart” since he had a gun and shot Bacon.
Cowart filed a grievance against Ford contesting his termination. He was eventually allowed to return to work at the plant, the suit alleges.
When Hyneman “indicated that she did not agree with what Ford wanted her to testify and that she would not lie for Ford…” the supervisors “expressed their displeasure at” her, according to the court filing.