Woman files sexual harassment lawsuit against KC-based pet food company
A woman filed a lawsuit against a Kansas City-based pet food company Monday, saying she was fired after reporting a history of sexual misconduct from the company’s founder.
The woman, a former employee at Integrated Proteins, filed the suit in Platte County saying she was fired after reporting the company’s founder and CEO, Joe Hubbard, for allegedly sexually harassing her, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiff alleged physical and verbal sexual harassment from Joe Hubbard began shortly after she began working at the company in May 2023, according to the lawsuit.
Integrated Proteins did not respond to The Star’s request for comment.
On Sept. 2, 2023, the woman said she attended a birthday party for general counsel and chief legal officer Ben Hubbard, according to court documents. As she left the event, Joe Hubbard waited with her as she waited for her husband to pick her up, the lawsuit states.
Joe Hubbard asked the plaintiff about her “relationship situation,” according to court documents. When the woman explained she was “happily married,” Joe Hubbard told her that “was a good thing,” and then made a sexual innuendo, the lawsuit states.
A few days later, the woman met with Joe Hubbard and explained that he needed to be more careful with employee interactions because several comments made to her at the party were inappropriate, according to court documents.
Joe Hubbard allegedly thanked her for “having his back,” as he “didn’t need any more lawsuits,” according to court documents.
On Oct. 19, 2023, an administrative assistant at Integrated Proteins contacted the woman, asking to meet with her, according to court documents. The assistant showed the plaintiff text messages between Joe Hubbard and herself that appeared to be “part of his systematic effort to groom her with the intention of facilitating an inappropriate relationship with her as his subordinate.”
In November 2023, after attending another birthday party for an employee, Joe Hubbard “insisted” the woman meet him in a nearby parking lot, according to lawsuit. Once there, Joe Hubbard began “immediately kissing” the woman and allegedly groped her, the lawsuit states.
The woman later learned that after the party, Joe Hubbard picked up his administrative assistant and took her to his home, according to court documents. The assistant later told the woman she had no recollection of arriving at Joe’s home.
Later that month, the woman arrived at work early and Joe Hubbard approached her desk and allegedly made sexual innuendos before placing his genitals in the woman’s face, the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff began searching for new employment, according to court documents.
The woman reported her experiences with Joe Hubbard, as well as the details of a conversation with his administrative assistant, to vice president of human resources Shannon Vance on March 25, 2024, according to court documents.
Vance was “visibly shaken” by the conversation, but told the woman she did not “have time to discuss these matters,” according to court documents.
The woman asked Vance not to share details of the pair’s conversation with Joe Hubbard, as she feared retaliation and losing her job, according to court documents. Vance later shared the details of their conversation with Joe Hubbard, the lawsuit states, and the plaintiff said she began to experience retaliation “immediately thereafter.”
The woman alleges her work began to be “unfairly and unjustly criticized without explanation,” according to court documents.
Joe Hubbard ’s administrative assistant was fired from her position on March 28, according to court documents.
In a July 16, 2024 meeting with Ben, the man told the plaintiff that while she had said “nothing untrue” about Joe, she needed to stop talking about him and “watch her back,” according to court documents.
The woman later met with Ben Hubbard after work and explained the alleged sexual harassment, during which Ben Hubbard became teary-eyed and “expressed his regret that plaintiff ‘had to deal with this at work,’” according to court documents.
Ben Hubbard told the woman he would “take care of Joe,” according to court documents. He was terminated weeks later.
The alleged sexual harassment by Joe continued toward the plaintiff until she was terminated on July 14, according to court documents.
The woman seeks damages based on claims of workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination, retaliation, negligent retention, negligent supervision and two counts of battery and tortious interference with business expectancy specifically filed against Joe Hubbard, according to court documents.
