A clinical sexologist is suing the founder of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas for personal injury after the two ended their extramarital affair and both he and his wife harassed her to the point that she required two hospitalizations, as reported by the Courthouse News Service.
Erotologist/clinical psychologist L.H. claims that she was coerced into an affair with married museum owner R.M. in 2004 because she was employed as the museum's curator and he had "exploited the position of power he held over (her)."
L.H. claims that the unwanted relationship started when she was a year into her doctoral studies at the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, through to when she worked with the institute to begin an affiliation with the museum.
In 2007 L.H. decided that the affair was both "abusive and unhealthy", ended the relationship and began dating someone else.
At that time, L.H. stated that R.M. grew more demanding of her time, threatened others that she dated and made unwelcome advances. R.M.'s wife, W.M., also began to notice what was happening and according to the suit, "became increasingly jealous."
The suit states that R.M. treated L.H. as if she was "his child and demanded sex with her."
Both R.M. and W.M. are cited in the suit for placing L.H. in a "toxic and stressful environment…at the museum and the institute's satellite campus there, and made her consulting difficult."
By 2009 L.H. had suffered an anxiety attack and had to enter a hospital for treatment.
On September 24, 2010 she was fired, and barred, from the museum. According to the suit, R.M. and W.M. were unsatisfied with stopping at L.H.'s termination. The suit states that they instigated a campaign against L.H. "in the national human sexuality field, and with erotic artists and art buyers, and attempted to strip Ms. (L.H.) of her degrees from the institute."
R.M. and W.M. alleged spoke to reporters about L.H., claiming that she stole from, and mismanaged, the museum. The suit states that the couple told reporters that L.H. had "entered into an illegal conspiracy with 'Germans'." L.H. further claims that they also said that she was under FBI investigation for a possible foreign conspiracy.
Artists that worked for L.H. – she also owns L.H. Fine Art, H. Enterprises and Sin City Gallery – had their work banned from being shown at the museum if they continued to work with L.H.
By October of 2010 L.H. entered the hospital for a second time due to the effects of the harassment.
L.H. further claims that the museum still owes her salary.
The suit alleges that R.M. "controlled almost every aspect of Ms. (L.H.'s) life."
The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for breach of contract, fraud, defamation, business disparagement and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Along with R.M. and W.M., there are three other museum employees named in the lawsuit.
A personal injury lawsuit can be useful in various circumstances. If you have been physically or emotionally harmed by the actions of another person, contact a personal injury lawyer today!