Langer’s Deli Owner Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Former Server

LOS ANGELES, CA — The landmark Langer's Delicatessen and its owner, Norm Langer, are being sued by a former server who alleges she was sexually harassed by Langer and also badgered by a co-worker due to her mental health issues.

Paola Morales contends in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that she was forced to quit in 2024 because she could no longer tolerate her work environment. The complaint alleges multiple causes of action, including sexual harassment and discrimination, assault, battery, retaliation and infliction of emotional distress. Morales seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the suit filed Wednesday.

The restaurant issued a statement Thursday regarding the lawsuit.

"While we have not seen the lawsuit, we categorically deny the allegations made against Norm Langer and our team," the statement reads. "For more than 75 years, Langer's Deli has been a cornerstone of the Los Angeles community, built on a legacy of integrity, respect, and service. We remain firmly committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and professional workplace for every employee. While we do not litigate in the media, we take this matter seriously and will respond through the appropriate legal channels."

Langer, 80, made news last summer when he said he was tired of the crime in the restaurant's neighborhood, which includes MacArthur Park, and that he might close if conditions were not improved. Langer told The Los Angeles Times in April that he "backs the city of Los Angeles' recent work toward combating crime in MacArthur Park" and that although closing his Langer's Deli is still a possibility he's "decided to stick around for a little while."

In her lawsuit, Morales says she was hired as a server in October 2022 and that Langer made inappropriate remarks to her throughout her employment at the deli, some with sexual innuendo. After one such statement, Morales, who had previously told Langer his sexual jokes made her very uncomfortable, asked him to stop, the suit states.

However, Langer repeated the joke and walked away, the suit states.

Langer often pulled on Morales' hair and said words to the effect that men would like to pull her hair while being intimate with her, according to the suit, which further states that Langer asked her if she wanted a "sugar daddy."

"Paola was confused, hurt and anxious as a result of Mr. Langer's sexual harassment and related conduct," the suit states.

After Morales complained about Langer's alleged behavior, he retaliated by criticizing her and saying she was "being emotional" and also said things that embarrassed her in front of customers, including "You're lucky if she smiles at you," the suit states.

Morales also alleges that restaurant management allowed a co-worker to harass her because of a disability she has related to depression and post- traumatic stress disorder after she was physically attacked by a brother-in-law two years earlier, the suit states. The other employee, also a server, triggered trauma in her when he tripped over her last September and later called her "bipolar," the suit states.

When Morales complained to management about the co-worker's alleged conduct, she was told she "needed to be the bigger person" and "grow thicker skin," the suit states. Morales resigned the same month out of frustration with her work environment and her final pay check was $200 short, the suit states.

Morales did not get another job until a month and a half later and her time at Langer's has left her with "devastating and lasting stress, depression, financial strain, worsened anxiety and distrust in people," the suit states.

City News Service