Single mom denied car after refusing Coast dealership manager’s sexual advances, suit says
A Bay St. Louis woman is suing Astro Ford of D’Iberville and two former employees, claiming that she was denied a car after she refused to sign loan paperwork in a room alone with one of the employees whose sexual advances she had rejected the previous evening.
Simone Chiasson of Bay St. Louis said she was going through a divorce and desperately needed a car so she could go to work and support her three children. She visited the dealership in May 2018.
In addition to Astro Ford, her lawsuit filed in Circuit Court names former Astro business manager John Partain and former pre-owned car manager Joe Lamousin.
The lawsuit represents only Chiasson’s account of what happened. The dealership, Partain and Lamousin are expected to file responses to the lawsuit but those are not yet due.
Partain has previously claimed Chiasson’s allegations were “categorically false.” Reached Monday at the Hattiesburg dealership where he now works, Partain said he would have no further comment.
Lamousin, who also is working at a different dealership, did not return a phone call Monday from the Sun Herald. Astro Ford general manager Miles Culbertson said he is unable to comment on the lawsuit because he has not seen it.
Sexual harassment claim against dealership
Chiasson’s lawsuit says that she visited Astro Ford after she found a job with a cleaning service. She was thrilled when she was finally approved for a loan.
Paperwork had to be completed and the car needed to be cleaned, so she agreed to pick it up the next day. Her lawsuit says that Partain overhead Chiasson say she was going to have a drink to celebrate. He invited himself along, the lawsuit says.
Before they met at the Hollywood Casino bar, her lawsuit says, Partain sent her a text, saying he had “a way to make the car note even cheaper.” He then asked that she send photos of herself. When she refused, the lawsuit says, Partain claimed he was “joking.”
When Chiasson arrived at the bar, she said Partain was waiting. After she had ordered a drink, her lawsuit says, the sexual advances began.
The lawsuit says Partain flashed $500 in front of her and told her she “looked like a good time.” He told her that his wife was a Christian. Chiasson said that she was a Christian, too. He said she looked like a “fun Christian,” the lawsuit says.
“He explained that he was looking for a fling, not a relationship,” the lawsuit says, “and that he had a room for the night there at the Hollywood Casino.”
When Chiasson “steadfastly refused” his advances, the lawsuit says, Partain gave up and she left without finishing her drink.
“The next day, Partain sent another text to (Chiasson) inquiring as to whether she had given any thought to their conversation at the bar and whether she was attracted to him,” the lawsuit says. Chiasson did not respond.
Partain later texted to tell her that her car was ready, the lawsuit says. She took her uncle with her to pick it up. A sales person gave her the car keys and told her she would need to meet with Partain to sign paperwork.
Chiasson said that she refused because she did not want to be alone in a room with Partain. Her uncle explained to the sales person what had happened the previous evening, the lawsuit says.
The sales person fetched Lamousin, who insisted that she would need to meet with Partain, the lawsuit says. Lamousin explained, “This can’t get out and has to be kept hush-hush.”
Chiasson refused repeatedly to meet with Partain, the lawsuit says. Lamousin grew upset.
“He snatched the keys from her hands and tried to push her out of the door as she was crying and hysterical,” the lawsuit says.
Facebook video filmed outside Astro Ford
Tears poured from Chiasson’s eyes as she filmed a video from the Astro Ford parking lot about her experience. She posted the video publicly on her Facebook page, where thousands of people, including a Sun Herald reporter, viewed it.
Hundreds of people commented on the video. Chiasson told the Sun Herald on Saturday that she later took down the video because she was “getting harassed badly.”
Chiasson’s lawsuit says that she lost her job and fell into a depression. But she eventually went for counseling, returned to school for her GED and enrolled in community college.
In October 2020, the lawsuit says, she got a job as a security guard at a casino.
Her lawsuit asks that she be compensated for past and future mental-health treatment, lost wages and mental anguish. She also wants to be awarded attorney’s fees and punitive damages if “gross negligence” is found on the parts of Partain, Lamousin and Astro Ford.
She accused all three of breaching a sales contract, Partain of illegal sexual solicitation, and both Partain and Lamousin of bribery and extortion for refusing to deliver the vehicle unless she complied with their demands.
The lawsuit says Astro was negligent for failing to adopt a program and train employees about sexual misconduct, harassment, bribery and extortion.
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
