Through the Static

For at least 12 years, bikini baristas at Paradise Espresso have been subjected to sexual harassment and payment issues by owner Jonathan Tagle, according to a lawsuit Attorney General Nick Brown filed on September 16.  These stands generally hire young women to make and sell caffeinated beverages for overwhelmingly male clientele while wearing bikinis or lingerie, and Tagle owns and oversees the four located in Tukwila, Monroe, Lynwood, and Mountlake Terrace. 

The complaint alleges that Tagle and his company, Tagle Investments LLC, “required female employees to engage in sexual acts in order to be hired, keep their jobs, and/or be given better hours, shifts, or work locations,” and that he “required female applicants to get naked in front of him during their job interviews.” It also states that Tagle allegedly “touched female employees without their permission, including kissing, hugging, touching their breasts and buttocks, and pressing his erect penis against them.” 

Filed in King County Superior Court, Brown is seeking charges against Tagle for violating the Washington Law Against Discrimination, the Washington State Minimum Wage Act, and the Washington Wage Rebate Act, according to the complaint. Tagle was responsible for daily operations of the coffee stands, including hiring, firing, scheduling, and paying, and is also accused of failure to pay employees minimum wage for all hours worked, and withholding tips the women earned. 

“Our team investigation found that the employer broke the law in multiple ways and created a workplace that left his employees stressed and traumatized,” Brown said. “Protecting worker rights is one of my top priorities as Attorney General. That includes making sure no one trying to earn a living is treated in such a demeaning and exploitative way as the ionwomen were in this case.” 

Further complaint claims include Tagle recording women undressing and changing into their work outfits and showing those recordings to other employees, and failing to provide employees with sick pay. 

The state requests that the court announce that Tagle’s behavior was unlawful and prohibit him from sexually harassing and underpaying workers. The state is also asking for Tagle to give the bikini baristas paid sick leave, pay all wages and tips the women were entitled to, and provide them with monetary damages. 

The Attorney General’s Office wants to hear from those who worked at Paradise Espresso since 2012. Contact ParadiseEspressoLawsuit@atg.wa.gov or call 1(833)660-4877 and select option 9.