Wynn Resorts Settles Sexual Harassment Suit with Salon Workers

Posted on: September 7, 2023, 11:16h. 

Last updated on: September 8, 2023, 02:20h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. settled this week with nine anonymous women who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company in 2019, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported.  The terms of the settlement agreement, filed in U.S. District Court, remain confidential, leaving the exact amount and details undisclosed.

Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn, shown in a 2015 photo, left the gaming industry in 2018 after being accused of sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations. (Image: Getty)

The women, all manicurists or makeup artists at Wynn or Encore, filed complaints of sexual harassment against Wynn Resorts in March 2019.

They explicitly described inappropriate behavior by the company’s CEO and founder, Steve Wynn. This included “inappropriate physical touching,” “grabbing [plaintiff’s] hands and forcing her to massage him near his genitals during a manicure or pedicure,” and “asking inappropriate sexual questions,” among other things.

There were no allegations of sexual assault.

The plaintiffs sued under the pseudonym “Judy Doe Nos. 1-9,” requesting anonymity for fear of possible retaliatory lawsuits from Wynn and because of the disruptive impact going public might have on their lives and careers.

Wynn’s Resignation

Although Steve Wynn has consistently maintained his innocence of all sexual misconduct allegations — and has never been convicted of a crime connected to them — the allegations brought significant scrutiny to the company. They led to his resignation as CEO and chairman in February 2018 and subsequent divestment of all interests in Wynn Resorts.

Wynn also agreed to pay a $10 million fine in July 2023 in a settlement with the Nevada Gaming Commission related to the allegations.

Wynn, 81, is the most famous casino developer in Las Vegas’ history. He single-handedly took the Strip, kicking and screaming, from the cheap buffets and has-been headliners of its history to the upscale luxury destination it remains today. Before the Wynn, he created The Mirage and Bellagio.

Since 2018, Wynn has lived as a recluse in Florida and described his occupation as art collecting. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $3.2 billion.

Appeal Ping-Pong

In July 2020, the case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge James Mahan, who determined the lawsuit had been short on details and inadequately pleaded. He also said the women had failed to defend their decision to remain anonymous.

But a Ninth Circuit Appeals Court batted it back in November 2021, ruling that the women should be allowed to provide more information. Subsequently, the case was returned to the District Court, now under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro.