Woman Files Lawsuit Against Boss, Alleging Harassment After Mistaking 'XX' In Emails For Kisses

Karina Gaspraova, an IT project manager, took legal action against her employer, essDOCS, claiming sexual harassment by Alexander Goulandris, the co-head and former CEO of the company.

Gaspraova alleged that Goulandris engaged in inappropriate behavior toward her during both online and face-to-face interactions.

In her lawsuit, Gaspraova cited instances where Goulandris would run his hand through his hair and give her suggestive looks during a work call in March 2020.

Although the call was work-related, Gaspraova interpreted Goulandris's actions as an attempt to flirt with her.

In a highly publicized employment tribunal in London, Karina made serious allegations of sexual harassment.

Gaspraova claimed that Goulandris's use of question marks in emails alongside 'xx,' which she believed to be kissed, was a secret code for a sexual proposition.

The disputed email involved Goulandris requesting project information, using symbols such as XX, YY, and ???? in red to highlight his required details.

Gaspraova interpreted the XX as kisses, the YY as suggestive of sexual contact, and the question marks as an inquiry about when she would be willing to engage in sexual acts.

Gaspraova further accused Goulandris of renaming a work file with his initials 'ajg' as an acronym for 'A Jumbo Genital.' She claimed that she informed her bosses that she believed Goulandris desired a sexual relationship with her and treated her poorly due to her rejection of his advances.

Gaspraova argued that Goulandris, a wealthy and powerful individual, deliberately refrained from making overt advances in the workplace as he was too clever to do so.

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She detailed incidents where she alleged Goulandris touched her leg under a table and stared at her, causing her discomfort and anxiety.

However, while the tribunal acknowledged the leg-touching incident in 2019, it determined it was accidental and harmless.

Numerous other allegations by Gaspraova received similar rulings, leading the panel to conclude that her case rested on interpreting innocent interactions misguidedly.

Judge Emma Burns dismissed Gaspraova's sexual harassment claim, emphasizing her skewed perception of everyday events and her tendency to misinterpret innocent interactions as having sinister motives.

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Employment Judge Emma Burns said: "Our primary reasons for rejecting her account of events were that we considered her perception of everyday events skewed."

Judge Burns also noted inconsistencies and contradictions in Gaspraova's testimony, casting doubt on her credibility.

"She demonstrated a tendency to make extraordinary allegations without evidence, and she contradicted herself in a way that could not be attributable to a fallible memory."

"Ms. Gasparova interpreted entirely innocent work-related conduct, some of it accidental, by Mr. Goulandris as having a sinister intent."

As a result, Gaspraova was ordered to pay a substantial sum of ?5,000 in costs to essDOCS, dealing a financial blow to her case. The ruling highlights the importance of substantiated evidence and credible testimonies in sexual harassment claims.

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