IT employee sued for making obscene reference to boss’s initials, mistaking email abbreviations for sexual invitations

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By Emma Colton, FOX News

May 21, 2023 | 5:10 PM

a british technical worker He tried to sue his ex-boss because he believed that the abbreviations used in his e-mails, such as “xx” and “???”, were codes for seeking sexual relations.

Karina Gasparova, an IT employee at essDOCS, a “paperless global trade management” firm, has filed a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit against her boss, Alexander Goulandris, for alleged misconduct dating back to 2019, according to The Independent. woke up

A judge dismissed the case after an employment trial in . Central Court of London I heard Gasparova’s claims.

The IT employee said Goulandris’ use of “xx” in an email to her was an attempt to kiss, “yy” was a cipher for sexual contact, and “??” claimed to have been “?” This was coded language asking “when are you ready to have a sexual relationship?”

Gasparova, who represented her, cited emails as evidence for her allegations, claiming the emails showed Goulandris’ desire to “engage in sexual activity.”

“Could you please fill in the following: Currently, the solution of transporting north-south corn cargo with xx company agris company and yy company barge line is flowing ????”, according to the BBC, Goulandris, citing evidence seen in court, wrote in an email to Gasparova, “Also, please let me know the rollout balance and approximate amount. Timing. Thank you.”

court that email is It was a “pure information request” and did not imply that Goulandris wanted a sexual relationship.

Gasparova also said that when Goulandris renamed the file to her initials, “AJG,” the acronym actually stands for “giant genitals,” and one day reached for a computer mouse. claimed to have touched her hand. Ms Goulandris also used her “charming voice” to tell her “have a nice night,” and during the November 2019 incident, he “stared at her” and said, under the table. He also claimed he suspected he touched her leg.

A court ruled that the 2019 incident was “harmless” and accidental.

of the judge dismissed the lawsuit The BBC ruled that Ms Gasparova “distorts our perception of everyday events” and “has a tendency to make outrageous claims without evidence”.

Ms Gasparova said in court that she told company leaders that Ms Goulandris had treated her badly because she “refused his invitation”.

Gasparova, who joined the company in 2019, filed a formal complaint against Goulandris in April 2021 over the alleged incident. The newspaper said she resigned after her charges were dismissed.

Mr Gasparova was ordered to pay essDOCS £5,000, about $6,200 for expenses.