New York Supreme Court Clears Philipp Plein of Homophobia Allegations – WWD

MILAN – Philipp Plein has been cleared of homophobia allegations by the New York State Supreme Court.

As reported last year, a former manager of Philipp Plein Americas Inc., Amro Alsoleibi, sued the fashion designer and the American arm of his brand in a New York court, claiming he was discriminated against in the workplace and retaliated against, ultimately resulting in his wrongful firing.

Now the Supreme Court has ruled that Alsoleibi, who joined the brand in 2018, “used false claims of homophobia to deflect from misdeeds within Philipp Plein Americas Inc. which led to his termination in 2019.”

As confirmed by the Supreme Court, during his appointment Alsoleibi had worked out a plan to extract funds from his employer by awarding a series of contracts for recruitment services on behalf of Philipp Plein Americas Inc. to his friend and roommate Talal Atassi without informing or obtaining authorization from the company. The court decreed that the discovery of this plan by the Plein Group resulted in Alsoleibi’s immediate termination.

Alsoleibi had claimed that his termination was due to his sexual orientation and HIV-positive status, and took place in retaliation for his multiple complaints about defendants’ unlawful employment policies and hostile work environment.

“I am very pleased about this decision which sets the record straight and responds to the despairing attempt of Mr. Alsoleibi to discredit my reputation in order to try make money on my back,” said Plein.

“My brand and my business were built from zero through over twenty years of hard work by hundreds of people among which both LGBTQ and heterosexuals have always been represented and always worked together and complemented each other in a positive, productive, diverse and cohesive working environment. I am very proud of such an inclusive environment and of each of the employees that accompanied me in this successful journey, regardless of their sexual orientation,” he continued.

“Philipp Plein is the opposite of any discrimination and it is my duty to protect the work and reputation of all the people who contributed to build this brand. This is why I will always react against attacks like the one of Mr. Alsoleibi who first tried to deceive me and my company by creating false services and contracts and then tried to deceive the public opinion and the press by creating false allegations. My utmost appreciation goes to the judge who was able to acknowledge that,” Plein said

Atassi sued the Plein Group for payment of recruitment services rendered totaling $100,000, but earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled the claim to payment as unwarranted. It also determined not only that Alsoleibi had no authority to hire his friend or anyone else on behalf of the Plein Group, but that he had in addition hidden such contracts from his employer.

The ruling states that Alsoleibi concealed Atassi’s existence from the Plein Group until shortly before he was terminated.

Carmine Rotondaro, Plein’s business adviser, said that the Supreme Court has provided clarity on the termination of Alsoleibi, who had “grossly misrepresented” its circumstances to the court and the public “when he made the false and absurd allegations” that he had been fired “based on his sexual orientation and, instrumentally, took them to the press in the attempt to put pressure on the Plein Group.”

Rotondaro underscored Alsoleibi’s “serious misconduct” that “no employer would tolerate.”

Alsoleibi was a regional manager for Plein’s stores in the New York City area, and accused the designer of making repeated homophobic comments to him and allegedly other gay employees, and of canceling his health care and eventually terminating his employment in retaliation for his sexuality, as well as it becoming known that Alsoleibi is HIV-positive. Before his employment at Plein, Alsoleibi worked for more than a decade in sales and management for a number of luxury brands, including Chloé, Etro, Fendi and Valentino.

Alsoleibi in his complaint accused Plein of “foster[ing] the macho and toxic masculinity image of his business. He was very clear that this preference was not just for business branding, but also that all managers and employees must fit a certain stereotype in order to work for him.”

Through Rotondaro, Plein had firmly rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless and defamatory,” citing, for example, a 2013 global advertising campaign for the brand, which featured transsexual model Lea T and two male models kissing each other. “Since then, members of LGBTQ community have been very often present and always welcome in Mr. Plein’s communication, campaigns, advertising and fashion shows,” continued Rotondaro.

Alsoleibi was seeking a number of remedies from the court, including unspecified damages, front and back pay, emotional distress, wrongful termination, hostile work environment, discrimination and harassment. He also asked that the court find Plein in violation of New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act.