NEW YORK — A jury in New York has award $1.6 million to to a lesbian chef who accused restaurateur Edward Globokar of forcing her to participate in prayer meetings at Mary Ann’s, a Mexican restaurant in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood.
Globokar allegedly turned his restaurant into a makeshift house of worship where he prayed for God to heal gay workers, reported the New York Post.
Jurors awarded lesbian chef Mirella Salemi the fat payout in her battle against the former owner of Mary Ann’s on West Broadway for making her life hell by holding employee prayer meetings inside the restaurant where she worked for six years.
“He not only threatened her soul, but he also threatened her livelihood,” said Derek Smith, a lawyer for Salemi. “He thought praying might cure her of her sexuality, but she is someone who didn’t need to be saved.”
Salemi was awarded $1.2 million in punitive damages and $400,000 in compensatory damages by the Manhattan jury.
Globokar allegedly told gay workers that they faced eternal damnation unless they went to church.
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