The longtime owner and president of Home Marketing Services has been ordered to pay more than $5 million in damages, fees and interest after a judge found he repeatedly sexually harassed, sexually assaulted and retaliated against a female employee he supervised.
The decision follows a six-day bench trial before Dallas County Judge Sally Montgomery. She handed down her findings of fact Monday in the lawsuit a Jane Doe plaintiff filed against Robert “Bob” Lovell. Judge Montgomery found that Lovell sexually assaulted Doe and that there was evidence of ongoing sexual demands, coercion, retaliation and emotional and physical harm suffered by Doe.
Rogge Dunn and M. Patrick McShan of Rogge Dunn Group represented Doe.
“It felt great to vindicate a woman who was abused in the workplace,” Dunn told The Texas Lawbook.
According to the court’s findings of fact, Lovell, who controlled all aspects of HMS, pressured Doe for sexual acts as a condition of her job, used code words to demand oral sex inside the workplace and retaliated against her when she declined his demands, including by withholding access to valuable sales leads. Judge Montgomery also found Lovell had threatened to fire Doe.
“Plaintiff tried to avoid being alone with defendant in the office,” the findings of fact read. “When plaintiff was avoiding contact with defendant by staying in her office at HMS, defendant would come into plaintiff’s office and ask plaintiff, what are we going to do about your daughter’s health insurance premiums while simultaneously grabbing his penis area with his hand.”
“Defendant then threatened plaintiff regarding defendant no longer paying for plaintiff’s daughter’s insurance premiums — if plaintiff didn’t give him oral sex.”
Dunn said, at first, Lovell’s then-wife didn’t believe Jane Doe, but after learning she said his fluids tasted like coffee, she testified she knew it had to be true.
“That was pretty powerful testimony,” Dunn said.
Lovell, whose attorneys withdrew before trial after not getting paid, represented himself at trial. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dunn said Lovell told jurors during trial Doe’s version of events were not true and the alleged assaults never happened.
In the court’s findings of fact, Judge Montgomery noted Doe testified to knowledge of Lovell’s physical characteristics that she could only know if she engaged in sexual activity.
Dunn said they asked the court for $7.5 million. Judge Montgomery awarded $5.7 million to Jane Doe.
Dunn said he was grateful to be able to keep his client’s identity anonymous.
“This is a good reminder to victims that they can come forward without having their privacy or identity invaded,” Dunn said.
The case is Jane Doe v. Robert Lovell, CC-21-05230-C.