McDonald’s sues Brit ex-CEO for £30m for ‘lying about office romances and sending naked pics of staff from work email’

The 53-year-old was old was fired from his £12 million-a-year job in November last year after he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a female employee who he exchanged videos and text messages with.

But court filings show that actually had relationships with five women who worked for the corporate .

Only one of them has been named - PR executive Denise Paleothodoros.

The McDonald’s lawsuit accuses him of lying, concealing evidence, fraud and violating its policy by having relationships with co-workers, awarding one among them shares worth six figures.

Court papers also said he sent dozens of “nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photographs” and videos of girls , including the three employees, from his work email to a private account.

McDonald's said Easterbrook deleted the emails and attached photos from his company-issued phone shortly before his ousting but they remained on a corporation server without his being aware.
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It also alleges Easterbrook approved an "extraordinary" stock grant of many thousands of dollars to at least one employee soon after their first sexual encounter.

He then lied to investigators by denying any physical sexual relationships with employees, McDonald's lawsuit claims.

Easterbrook stepped down as McDonald's CEO after admitting to a consensual relationship with an employee, which is against company policy.

The relationship was characterised as ‘sexting’ instead of physical - involving the sending of videos.

Easterbrook apologised and walked away with compensation and stock options worth quite £30million and therefore the nutriment chain appointed a replacement chief executive.

He also collected 26 weeks in pay, amounting to £512,000.

The departing CEO was allowed to stay his exit package because the McDonald’s board wanted to ease him out “with as little disruption as possible”, their lawsuit claims.

He also assured the company’s outside investigators that he had never engaged during a relationship with an employee.
But McDonald's said it reopened the matter last month after receiving an anonymous tip, and discovered Easterbrook engaged within the sexual relationships with employees within the year before his departure.

The lawsuit shines the spotlight again on a years-long reckoning over harassment at Chicago-based McDonald's and its 39,000 restaurants.
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In the U.S. alone, quite 50 workers have filed separate harassment charges against McDonalds with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or in state courts.

McDonald’s now features a longstanding policy against its employees having relationships with direct and indirect reports in the least levels.

In an indoor memo new CEO Chris Kempczinski wrote: “McDonald’s doesn't ­tolerate behaviour from any employee that doesn't reflect our values.

“Now, quite ever, is that the time to lean in to what we represent and act as a positive force for change.”

Initially, Watford-born Easterbrook was considered the nutriment giant’s saviour by introducing the favored all-day breakfasts.

But after he was sacked he wrote an email to employees admitting: "This was an error .

“Given the values of the corporate , I accept as true with the board that it's time on behalf of me to maneuver on.”
News Source: The Sun button