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Celebrity matchmaker Rori Sassoon turned a blind eye to her business partner’s rampant sexual harassment of an employee, condoning a work culture “reminiscent of the 1950s,” new court papers allege.
Sara Boesen – an administrative assistant at exclusive New York City dating service Platinum Poire – claims Sassoon’s business partner Dr. Errol Gluck relentlessly sexually harassed and inappropriately touched her for nearly two years, forcing her to finally quit in November, a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit from Wednesday claims.
The Brooklyn employee said Sassoon – whose celebrity clients include “Real Housewives of New York” stars Ramona Singer and Carole Radziwill – often witnessed Gluck groping her, but would shrug it off, saying “he meant no harm” or he was “well-intended,” the court papers allege.
Boesen — who started with the company in February 2021 – said Gluck once lifted her shirt and stared at her abs under the pretext of teaching her self-defense tactic, the filing claims.
Gluck – 40 years Boesen’s senior – said “you must have a 23-inch waist,” the court documents allege.
Gluck would give Boesen awkwardly long hugs “as an excuse to grope” her, would frequently scan her up and down with his gaze, would oddly pet her head like a dog and would “pepper” her with “wet and sloppy kisses,” the suit claims.
Gluck once massaged Boesen’s shoulders and clavicle under her shirt “while allowing his hands to roam within inches of her breasts,” the filing alleges.
Boesen also witnessed Gluck grabbing both of Sassoon’s breasts “for sizing purposes,” and Sassoon appeared unphased, the suit claims.
Boesen made a formal complaint to Sassoon and was forced into a meeting with her and Gluck where the pair “absurdly defended his grotesque conduct as being “well-intended,” the filing claims.
“Despite Platinum’s owner, Sassoon, and her business partner Dr. Gluck, touting themselves as — among other suspect credentials — ‘relationship experts,’ defendants perpetuated and condoned a work culture more reminiscent of the 1950s, where Sassoon allowed Dr. Gluck to inappropriately touch and grope the [Boesen] with impunity during her tenure as Sassoon’s administrative assistant,” the suit charges.
Platinum Poire — headquartered on Lexington Avenue in Midtown East — is an invite-only service where wealthy male clients pay $20,000 for a match.
Boesen is suing for unspecified damages.
“It is unfortunate that Ms. Boesen has filed this complaint against her former employer containing categorically false allegations that have no merit whatsoever and go against the long-standing principles at Platinum Poire,” a rep for Sassoon and Platinum Poire said.
“The company intends to vigorously defend these specious claims,” Levine said.
Gluck told The Post that Boesen’s allegations are “pure fiction” and said “there is not an ounce of truth” in the suit. He also said Boesen won’t be able to find “one single person” to substantiate her claims.
He said that Boesen never had anything but positive things to say about Sassoon and himself and said that Sassoon “treated her like a daughter.”
“She had told everyone how we were the greatest bosses in the world,” Gluck said.
Gluck noted that a few weeks ago Boesen asked him to take her on as a patient — which he declined.
“I don’t want patients who have anything to do with work,” Gluck said.
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