Toyota's North American CEO sued for sexual harrassment
Hideaki Otaka, Toyota's North American president and CEO stands accused of sexual harrassment. His 42-year-old
assistant, Sayaka Kobayashi filed a lawsuit late Monday in the New York Supreme Court against Otaka, 65, along with
Toyota Motor and Toyota North America itself, etc.
Kobayashi is seeking $190 million in punitive and other damages, has is alleging that the married executive sexually assaulted her after she began working under him last summer, altering her schedule to create times where they were unaccompanied, groping her, and so on.
Kobayashi further maintains that upon reporting Otaka to Toyota officials last winter, she was transferred to another post within the company.
For its part, Toyota says it has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual abuse, but it won't comment on the case as a matter of policy.
Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Otaka will move to an internal auditor position at Daihatsu in Japan, but the executive maintains that the change is unrelated to the suit.
[Source: TheStreet.com; MySanAntonio.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
hj 10:10AM (5/03/2006)
Guess she wasn't into hentai.
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Mr. Roboto 10:22AM (5/03/2006)
"Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Otaka will move to an internal auditor position at Daihatsu in Japan, but the executive maintains that the change is unrelated to the suit."
Yes, purely a coincidence I'm sure. Nice to see Japanese corporations have as little respect for laws and ethics as their American counterparts.
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Brad 10:32AM (5/03/2006)
$190 million?!?!?!
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Steve 10:38AM (5/03/2006)
SEKUHARA!
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Jeff the Baptist 10:43AM (5/03/2006)
Not that what Otaka did is right (or perhaps didn't do for all I know), but $190 million dollars? Holy crap! Kobayashi's descendents would be living off of her shame for generations.
"Otaka will move to an internal auditor position at Daihatsu in Japan, but the executive maintains that the change is unrelated to the suit."
Transfers to avoid sexual misconduct, not just for the Catholic Church anymore.
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JT 10:53AM (5/03/2006)
Kobayashi... I bet the 190 million will go directly into Keyser Soze's pockets.
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matt 10:57AM (5/03/2006)
She should have taken him up on his offer. He can no doubt do it better than his american counterparts.
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GrowUp 11:01AM (5/03/2006)
Considering the seriousness of the charge, this is very inappropriate wording:
"Kobayashi is seeking $190 million in punitive and other damages, has is alleging that the married executive sexually assaulted her after she began working under him last summer..."
Unprofessional.
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Tom W 11:04AM (5/03/2006)
"the married executive sexually assaulted her after she began working under him last summer"
"Working under him"? Haha...great pun!
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Hung2 11:21AM (5/03/2006)
I knew the Kobayashi-Muru incident would come back and haunt this guy. I knew it!!
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Optimus Prime 11:22AM (5/03/2006)
Im not a lawyer. But, ins't sexual assault (groping, etc) againt the law in the US. Why isnt this a criminal chrage?
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Gardiner Westbound 11:31AM (5/03/2006)
My daughter lives in Japan. She says being groped in crowds and on the subways is constant. There are few criminal sanctions. Women have taken to identifying and suing their attackers. Some have received large awards.
From Toyota North American president and CEO to an internal auditor position at a subsidiary! You have to be a big believer in coincidence to believe the two events are unrelated. It looks like occupational seppuku.
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CANADIAN MADE 11:36AM (5/03/2006)
Must have been all that Viagra he got from General Motors
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PJ 12:06PM (5/03/2006)
And I bet he didn't even have to offer her rebates, eh, Rick Wagoner?
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bhtooefr 12:54PM (5/03/2006)
Well... umm... Optimus Prime, less evidence is necessary to win in civil court than in criminal court.
That's why OJ Simpson was found not guilty in the criminal case, but found liable in the civil case.
I suspect that the reason she's going after him in civil court is because she's got a better chance of winning.
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Richard Warren 1:21PM (5/03/2006)
Where's Paul??
So much for those wonderful Asian corporations and leadership.
Lets see...Sludge, quality questions, scandal, not much different than a lot of corporations, so much for the shining light at Toyota.
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Source1 1:52PM (5/03/2006)
This is only time Toyota followed Hyundai
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Finished.Law.School 2:35PM (5/03/2006)
"she began working under him last summer"
If anyone posting here were familiar with Japanese business culture you would realize that this is not out of the ordinary.
Get out of the fucking house and travel a bit you losers.
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Dax 3:04PM (5/03/2006)
This gives a whole new meaning to the term used in their 80s advertizing
"OH WHAT A FEELING"
I guess he took it literally
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Sgt. Hulka 3:17PM (5/03/2006)
It's all GM/Ford's fault.
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