Former Trocaderos employee alleges sexual harassment

A former employee of Warehouse District restaurant and nightclub Trocaderos says she was fired after she complained about being groped and propositioned by an entire cast of characters including sound techs, bouncers and bartenders right up to top management of the club.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Hennepin County District Court, the 26-year-old Rosemount woman accuses Trocaderos Manager James Galster of a number of unsavory actions including touching her (and other female employees) inappropriately and physically forcing her to kiss him.

Galster also allegedly asked her personal questions repeatedly, including what she smelled like and told others he was going to have sex with her.

While Trocaderos is known more for its entertainment than its fare -- just last week The Roots' ?uestlove and Ziggy Modeliste rocked the joint -- it has won some recognition for its food, including these Strib and Downtown Journal reviews written not long after the club opened in 2006.

The suit claims the nightclub had sexually-charged atmosphere in general, with erect penises as screensavers and management openly acknowledging having sex with each other, including on company property.

The woman also says it was common knowledge while she worked there that management had strippers come in to entertain them while they were working.

This isn't the first suit to complain about sexual harassment and innappropriate behavior by Trocaderos' management and staff. Two other, similar suits filed against the club in the last year have settled.