Federal lawsuit details graphic sexual harassment allegations against Pāʻia Inn owner

A federal lawsuit alleges that Pāʻia Inn owner Michael Baskin used drugs to try to engage in sexual acts with female employees, some teenagers, while in his hotel room, and the young women were “unable to consent” because “they were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

The lawsuit itself comes to light after an initial news release issued last week by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In it, the commission reported filing a federal lawsuit alleging “rampant sexual harassment” against Baskin.

The commission’s federal court filing comes nearly four years after about a dozen residents protested Baskin’s alleged sexual conduct in Pāʻia in June 2021. Women paced up and down sidewalks, carrying protest signs that said, among other things: “Sexual harassment is abuse.” “How young is too young?” And, “Ask me about Room 9.”

The allegation about the use of drugs is among new, explicit details emerging from the commission’s lawsuit, filed Thursday in US District Court in Honolulu. Baskin denied the allegations Saturday, with his representative asserting that they’re “completely untrue and lack any merit whatsoever.”

The Pāʻia businessman allegedly demanded massages, while naked, from female employees, and touched them, including their inner and upper thighs, shoulders and waists without their consent; reaching under their clothing; and attempting to touch their most private areas, the lawsuit says.

Court filings detail accusations that Baskin showed pornographic videos to female employees, discussing his sexual activities with them, and “parading female employees around the common areas of the hotel to impress his male friends who patronized the hotel and restaurant and asking female employees to provide his male friends with tours of the hotel and restaurant.”

According to the lawsuit, Baskin would introduce female employees to customers, including his male friends, as being “pretty” or “our best-looking employee in the house tonight.” He’d also ask the employees to give his male friends hugs and kisses on the cheek, the lawsuit alleges.

Baskin also would require female employees to model bikinis for him, demand they wear “shorter shorts” or “skimpier clothes to work,” and he would make “inappropriate sexual comments to female employees, such as ‘you are hot’ and ‘you have a great butt,’ ” court documents say.

The lawsuit alleges Baskin preyed on female employees, subjecting them to “frequent, ongoing, inappropriate, unwelcome and offensive conduct of a sexual nature.” Court documents say Baskin, through his businesses, created a hostile work environment with “rampant sexual harassment” of young female employees, including teenagers, since at least 2015. Claimants in the case repeatedly complained of the sexual harassment, the complaint says.

One employee, who worked in management, met with Baskin in May 2021 to discuss the complaints against him, and she told him that she had reported the conduct to the EEOC and the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission, according to the lawsuit. Baskin responded by dismissing the allegations against him as “inaccurate,” ordered the female employee not to discuss the sexual harassment allegations with anyone except him, and terminated her for reporting the allegations to outside agencies without his approval.

Retaliation against other complaining female employees included reassignment to lesser job duties, retaliatory harassment and immediate termination, the lawsuit alleges. Some employees quit to avoid being subjected to further harassment, which continued unabated, it says.

It further alleges that the sexual harassment was conducted with “malice and reckless indifference” and that acts were “intentional” and caused victims the loss of employment and to suffer emotional distress.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial and asks a federal judge to grant a permanent injunction against Baskin and any other defendants from engaging in any further employment practices in violation of federal law.

It calls for the award of compensation to victims for past and future pecuniary losses, including back and front pay with prejudgment interest on any lost pay and benefits, “in amounts to be determined at trial.”

The lawsuit also seeks compensation for the victims’ emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life. And, it wants a judge or jury to award punitive damages for “intentional, malicious and reckless conduct.”

The suit targets Baskin-owned companies: Pāʻia Inn, Pāʻia Properties, Pāʻia Inn Cafe (Vana), Surf Club, Baskin Design and Seashore Properties. These corporations operate a hotel, restaurants, catering and special events on Maui. The defendants collectively employed at least 15 individuals.

According to court papers, the defendant businesses have a common management and ownership — Baskin. He is the “sole member” of Pāʻia Properties, through which he owns the other businesses.

The lawsuit also names “Does 1 through 5,” indicating that the EEOC believes other unnamed individuals may have been involved in the alleged conduct or enabled it, and the commission reserves the right to identify and add them as defendants later.

“Plaintiff is ignorant of the true names and capacities of each defendant,” it says. And, the plaintiff reserves the right to amend the complaint to name each Doe defendant individually and collectively as they become known.

“Plaintiff alleges that each Doe defendant was and continues to be in some manner responsible for the acts and omissions alleged herein, and plaintiff will amend the complaint to allege such responsibility when the same shall have been ascertained by plaintiff.”

Baskin’s representative said Saturday that “we are confident that the truth will fully clear Mr. Baskin’s name, and we look forward to sharing more details when we are able.”

Baskin’s alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the EEOC. The federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment, as well as retaliation against individuals who complain about sexual harassment or engage in other protected activity.

The case number for the EEOC lawsuit is 1:25-cv-00199. The civil case has a lower standard of proof than a criminal case. Proof in civil cases is by a “preponderance of the evidence.” Whereas, criminal cases require a judge or jury to find a defendant guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The next step in the case docket is a telephone scheduling conference on July 14 before Magistrate Judge Rom Trader.