- Lawsuit against AZA for discrimination and retaliation contuines.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) is the target of a new lawsuit brought by renowned researcher and orangutang expert Dr. Graham L. Banes claiming the association practiced discrimination and unlawful retaliation following an alleged sexual assault against Dr. Banes by Ronda Schwetz, executive director of the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. The suit was filed in King County Superior Court on June 21, 2021, by Hagens Berman and Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, whose attorneys are representing Dr. Banes.

According to the complaint, Ms. Schwetz became inappropriate and sexually aggressive toward Dr. Banes during a business trip to Seattle in 2018 for AZA’s Annual Conference. As soon as Dr. Banes reported the assault, the suit alleges that it set in motion a coordinated effort by the AZA to discriminate and retaliate against Dr. Banes for speaking out against Ms. Schwetz, which prevented his professional advancement.

The suit outlines that at the time of the assault, Dr. Banes was working as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin in its School of Veterinary Medicine and held an office at the Henry Vilas Zoo where he reported to Ms. Schwetz. After Dr. Banes reported the sexual assault by Ms. Schwetz to local law enforcement, Ms. Schwetz was criminally charged for her conduct. Once Ms. Schwetz had no supervisory control over Dr. Banes, he reported the assault to the AZA, and soon after, there began a campaign of retaliation and discrimination against Dr. Banes.

The complaint cites that following the assault not only was Dr. Banes laid off from his position at Henry Vilas Zoo, but he was also blocked from a subsequent position at another zoo organization. Dr. Banes interviewed for a new position at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and secured the role amidst a highly rigorous and selective interview process. However, after Dr. Banes shared his new role with AZA’s CEO, his new Brookfield supervisor informed him of concerns about his character and suggested hearing things about Dr. Banes from individuals affiliated with the AZA. One week after he began his new position, Brookfield Zoo terminated Dr. Banes for “not upholding the zoo’s values,” and he was removed from all AZA committees.

“The harassment and assault Dr. Banes suffered was reprehensible and deeply troubling,” Elizabeth Hanley said, attorney for Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. “Like so many others who have bravely come forward, Dr. Banes should never have experienced the grossly inappropriate sexual assault that occurred while he was carrying out the responsibilities of his position. We must protect victims from the systemic retaliation Dr. Banes faced for simply speaking up against his abuse.”

The complaint for Dr. Banes’ discrimination claim and the unlawful retaliation claim alleges that Ms. Schwetz and AZA’s treatment of Dr. Banes constitutes discrimination and as a direct result of their misconduct, he sustained injuries and damages, both past and future, for pain and suffering, emotional distress, anxiety, adverse physical and/or debilitating symptoms and conditions, loss of enjoyment of quality of life, loss of earnings, diminished earning capacity, medical and psychological treatment expenses, and other damages in an amount to be proven at trial. READ MORE.