Waffle House CEO Accused of Forcing Assistant to Perform Sex Acts
The incidents allegedly occurred during her tenure as the executive's personal assistant.
The Atlanta Police Department is investigating allegations that Waffle House CEO Joe W. Rogers Jr. of Buckhead repeatedly forced an Acworth woman to perform sex acts on him during her time as Rogers' personal assistant.
According to the Marietta Daily Journal, which first reported the investigation, Mye Brindle worked out of Rogers' Buckhead home as his assistant from 2003 until May 2012. It was at that Chatham Road home that the 43-year-old single mother said most of the alleged acts occurred, according to an incident report that the Atlanta Police Department emailed to Acworth Patch.
“As a condition of Brindle’s employment, and against Brindle’s will, Rogers willfully, repeatedly and with specific intent to harm and oppress Brindle, required Brindle to perform sexual services,” Atlanta police wrote in the incident report.
Beginning in 2003, this happened "once or twice a month," Brindle told police.
She was never involved in a romantic relationship with Rogers, but "Brindle endured the sexual harassment and assault by Rogers for a number of years because she could not find work of comparable pay, because her child's father abandoned them, left the country and left Brindle to her son on her own without any financial contribution whatsoever," she told police.
Brindle worked as Rogers' assistant until May, but didn't officially resign until June 29, according to the incident report.
She quit "shortly after her son graduated from high school and was awarded a full athletic scholarship to college, relieving her of certain financial dependency relating to his well-being."
That is when the alleged sex acts stopped, Brindle told police.
More than two months after Brindle resigned, Rogers sued her on Sept. 14 in Cobb County Superior Court. Brindle countered with a suit of her own on Sept. 19 in Fulton County State Court. Both suits are sealed, according to the MDJ.
Brindle went to the Atlanta Police Department on Sept. 28.
"No charges have been filed," Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said in an email to Acworth Patch. "It is an open investigation."
Rogers' attorney Robert D. Ingram could not be reached for comment today. In January, Rogers was named to Georgia Trend's list of "100 Most Influential Georgians."
A PDF version of the Atlanta Police Department incident report is under the YouTube clip attached to this story.
Asher Adelman
9:33 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
I wonder if this will qualify the Waffle House CEO for the eBossWatch list of America's Worst Bosses...
Jackie Goodman
12:13 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Here's another addition for the Horizon Theatre production of "Waffle Palace," scheduled to re-appear in next year's line-up. It can only happen at The Waffle House. (but seriously, I don't meant to make light of sexual harrassment, which is always, always, always wrong). I have always thought so highly of The Waffle House management team ... gosh, now Balfour is in the news relating to ethics charges in state government, now Joe Rogers is being accused of this ...
Liza Marsh
1:23 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Time is our greatest revenge :-)
Tammy
1:56 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
It gives the hash brown prep names a whole new meaning.
Beth
3:24 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
What leaves a bad taste in my mouth is she waiting since 2003 to say something. HHHmmmmmm, take the paycheck OR do the right thing? She already made her choice. Not condoning his (alleged) actions either.
McKenna
9:10 am on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Ok.. this makes NO sense!
She starts to work for someone and within MONTHS (she states) that she started to be harrassed...and then she STAYED for 9 YEARS! No. You lose creditability right there. I'm a single mom too. I raised kids through, and PUT them through college. There are other jobs out there that don't call for one to whore themselves to make a living (if there is even truth in it). Someone pulls something - YOU LEAVE.
Next... she quits after he gets a scholarship? Now you don't need a job? Did you get help (influence) to get the scholarship and now you don't have need of that influence?
HE filed a lawsuit FIRST? For WHAT? Her leaving him? NO. THAT is fishy! ANd then AFTER his lawsuit...THEN, after NINE YEARS...NOW she says something? No. It doesn't add up.
Lou Ramirez
2:57 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
I wouldn't eat the the "smothered" hash browns if this dude is around;...ha
hairmercy
10:37 am on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I totally agree, Mckenna!