• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Modern Family’s Julie Bowen Crushing On Harry Styles; Reveals She Was Once In Love With A Gay Woman, “but she didn’t love me back”
  • Mean Girls musical movie will have a ‘fresher palette’
  • Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents

Fire Island Pines Manager Sued by Former Employees Over ‘Dark Series of Harassments and Assaults’

Andy Towle November 13, 2017 Leave a Comment

fireislandJoe Rapuano-Novella, a former employee, and another plaintiff, Dylan Pace, are suing the umbrella company Outpost Pines which owns several entertainment and food venues at the gay resort of Fire Island Pines. Rapuano-Novella and Pace are suing their former manager Mario Priola and owner PJ McAteer for sexual harassment and assault.

Fire Island Pines is the resort featured on the Logo reality show.

The NY Post reports:

He and Pace interviewed in March 2016 for jobs at “The Pines,” an enclave of bars and restaurants which cater primarily to the LGBTQ community, according to their Brooklyn federal court filing.

Rapuano-Novella was “hired on the spot” via Skype during a bizarre interview in which Priola asked him to take off his shirt, the suit says. Pace, a Long Island resident, was asked to report to Priola’s hot tub on the island, the suit alleges.

Before Rapuano-Novella even got to Fire Island, Priola, who was twice his age, allegedly sent him “inappropriate texts,” noting in one that “you’re perfect” and asking for explicit photos, the suit says.

Rapuano-Novella charges in the suit that Priola repeatedly asked him to sleep over and “groped his penis.”

Wrote Rapuano-Novella on Facebook:

I haven’t yet come forward with my #metoo story because I was waiting for the right moment. A lot of people know I worked on Fire Island last year. My time on the island was abruptly cut short when a series of dark harassments and assaults at the hands of my boss drove me from the place. I’m so proud of everyone who is able to come forward and discuss tales of their harassment experience. Sexual harassments and assaults are rife in the gay community and it’s time that people start really talking about their experience. I have been harassed, attacked, groped, embarrassed, and manipulated by forces in power who tried to use me- and I am not alone in my experience.

The day I reported the harassment to HR and the owner of the business, they told me there was “nothing they could do,” despite showing them proof of disgusting text messages, money that had been siphoned into my account with the suggestion of “sexual payment,” and evidence of voice recordings that I had been assaulted. As I sailed away from the island, I knew I could either live with this experience, or fight like hell on behalf of our community to make sure it stops. I’m using my voice.

The trauma of these experiences is that they are relived every day. By people across the country who have been hurt and abused and taken advantage of by men. This isn’t easy, and won’t be moving forward. This ball has been rolling since the day I was forced to leave my job and it won’t stop until the issue is made clear- you are not alone with your abuse: outside of gender, community, and orientation. If it has happened to you, you have the power to affect change.

Topics: Business, Entertainment More Posts About: Dylan Pace, Fire Island, Joe Rapuano-Novella, Sexual harassment

Related Posts
  • Not All Straight People But … Playboy Mansion Secrets: ‘Drugs And Orgies The Norm’, ‘Not Safe Haven Some Women Thought’; Consent? Not So Much.
  • First of R. Kelly Male Victims Testifies; Was 17 When Singer Asked What He ‘Was Willing to do for Music’; Filmed Acts; Told To Call Him ‘Daddy’
  • Cuomo Excuses: Call it Generational shift or feigned ignorance? #MeToo’s ‘redrawn lines’ Make Clear Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse.
  • Mean Girls musical movie will have a ‘fresher palette’

    Mean Girls musical movie will have a ‘fresher palette’

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jeff Richmond and Tina Fey want the ‘Mean Girls’ musical movie to have a “fresher palette”. The pair are adapting their musical for the big screen and composer Jeff revealed his …Read More »
  • Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents

    Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents. The 61-year-old actress had been friends with Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell – who are the parents of pop star Billie, …Read More »
  • Efforts since George Floyd killing fail to stem US police violence

    Efforts since George Floyd killing fail to stem US police violence

    Published by AFP The US city of Memphis, Tennessee, on January 27, 2023, released footage of the fatal police beating of a 29-year-old Black man, Tyre Nichols Washington (AFP) – The shocking death of Tyre Nichols …Read More »
  • Pope Francis clarifies earlier comments: Homosexuality ‘not a crime’

    Pope Francis clarifies earlier comments: Homosexuality ‘not a crime’

    Published by DPA Pope Francis speaks during the general audience at the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Michael Kappeler/dpa Pope Francis has clarified his earlier comments on homosexuality following confusion in recent days, saying: …Read More »
Previous Post: « Supermarket Chain Tesco Under Fire For Including Gay Couple, Muslim Family in Christmas Ad
Next Post: George Takei: Russian Bots are Amplifying Sexual Assault Allegations Against Me »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Secrets about Catholic priest’s 1966 murder unearthed by reporters in Buffalo

    Secrets about Catholic priest’s 1966 murder unearthed by reporters in Buffalo

  • Booker says he’ll keep trying to pass weed legislation even with House Republicans in charge

    Booker says he’ll keep trying to pass weed legislation even with House Republicans in charge

  • Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

    Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • ‘Gone Their Separate Ways’: Ryan Reynolds & Jake Gyllenhaal’s Pals Left Scratching Their Heads Over Bizarre Bromance Fallout 

    ‘Gone Their Separate Ways’: Ryan Reynolds & Jake Gyllenhaal’s Pals Left Scratching Their Heads Over Bizarre Bromance Fallout 

  • Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

    Steamy! Miranda Lambert Shows Off Shirtless Husband Brendan McLoughlin To Celebrate Their Anniversary

  • ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

    ‘Sister Wives’ Alum Leon Brown Debuts Gender-Affirming Top Surgery Seven Months After Announcing New Pronouns

RSS Partner Links

  • The People Who Voted For George Santos
  • Julia Roberts & Jennifer Aniston Will Team Up for Body Swap Comedy Movie!
  • Showtune Sunday: All About Adam Lambert!
  • Harry Styles Wardrobe Malfunction: Better Look
  • Trump Continues Quixotic Attack On Windmills
  • New York Rangers Blow Off Pride Night + George Santos's Nonexistent Big-Money Donors + Oral History Of Hollywood + MORE! — 6-PACK
  • Open Post: Hosted By Confirmation That M&M’s Is Not Retiring The Spokescandies

Most Recent

  • Modern Family’s Julie Bowen Crushing On Harry Styles; Reveals She Was Once In Love With A Gay Woman, “but she didn’t love me back”

    Modern Family’s Julie Bowen Crushing On Harry Styles; Reveals She Was Once In Love With A Gay Woman, “but she didn’t love me back”

  • Mean Girls musical movie will have a ‘fresher palette’

    Mean Girls musical movie will have a ‘fresher palette’

  • Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents

    Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish’s parents

  • Efforts since George Floyd killing fail to stem US police violence

    Efforts since George Floyd killing fail to stem US police violence

  • Pope Francis clarifies earlier comments: Homosexuality ‘not a crime’

    Pope Francis clarifies earlier comments: Homosexuality ‘not a crime’

  • Rick Astley: I wasn’t cut out to be a pop star

    Rick Astley: I wasn’t cut out to be a pop star

  • Universal Pictures Loses Over $10 Million By Scrapping Madonna’s Biopic: Source

    Universal Pictures Loses Over $10 Million By Scrapping Madonna’s Biopic: Source

  • Spice Girls to reunite for King Charles’ coronation

    Spice Girls to reunite for King Charles’ coronation

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×