Barbecue baron faces another harassment suit

RALEIGH -- The owner of Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-B-Q, who settled claims of sexual harassment by a former employee last year, is being sued by another former worker making similar allegations.

In the complaint filed late Thursday afternoon in the Wake County Courthouse, the plaintiff claimed that he went to work as a butler for restaurant owner Gregory A. Moore in 2002 and that over the course of his six years of work he was sexually harassed and also sexually assaulted on one occasion while recovering from a motorcycle accident, according to a copy of the lawsuit.

Neither Moore nor his attorneys could be reached Friday for comment. The plaintiff's attorneys, who filed the complaint, declined to comment.

The News & Observer does not generally identify those who report sexual assaults.

Moore, the head of the chain of Eastern North Carolina restaurants, has faced similar accusations before. In a civil trial last fall at the Wake County Courthouse, Jason Hallaman, a former butler, alleged that he was fired after refusing Moore's sexual advances. A Wake jury awarded Hallaman $1.15 million, but that was set aside when Moore and Hallaman made a confidential settlement.

In the trial, Moore testified and said that he never made any advances toward Hallaman.

The attorneys who represented Hallaman at that trial -- James Hairston, Anthony Brannon and Rob Lane -- also filed the latest lawsuit.

A hearing is tentatively scheduled next month to address problems that Hallaman has had in receiving money from the settlement. Moore has also sued the three Raleigh lawyers with claims that they improperly promised Hallaman's ex-wife that he would pay his child support if she testified at the trial. She did testify.

The latest plaintiff, who spent time in prison for armed robbery, wrote in his complaint that he worked at the Governor's Mansion in a butler-like position for Gov. Mike Easley in 2001 and 2002. But he had actually been imprisoned at the time and was a prison trustee who helped with yard work and helped staff around the home, said Renee Hoffman, a spokeswoman for Easley.

"Butler's a bit of a stretch," Hoffman said. He was in the trustee position until December 2002, when he finished his prison sentence.

The plaintiff was also convicted in April of speeding from police in a May 11, 2007, incident and was placed on probation, according to correction department records. The motorcycle wreck he got into was that same night. In his complaint, the plaintiff claims that he was recovering from serious injuries he suffered in the wreck when he woke up and discovered that Moore was sexually assaulting him.

In April of this year, the plaintiff came to the Johnston County Sheriff's Office and reported that he had been assaulted by Moore, said Tammy Amaon, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. That incident is under investigation.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff continued to work for Moore until this past February despite persistent advances and requests by Moore to engage in a sexual relationship.

The lawsuit seeks at least $10,000 in damages.

More details about the lawsuit will be available in tomorrow's News & Observer.