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Two former employees of popular Southeast Portland night spot the Liquor Store have filed lawsuits against the club in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleging they were sexually harassed by one of the bar's investors.
Charlotte McCaslin and Elizabeth Elder claim Cooper DuBois, who is referred to in the suit as having an ownership interest in the business, repeatedly made unwanted physical contact with them, including groping, hugging and kissing, and that management failed to stop him.
Both accusers posted screenshots of the lawsuits on social media Friday night and wrote that they could not comment further.
DuBois co-founded Seattle online game developer DoubleDown Interactive, which sold to slot machine maker IGT for $500 million in 2012. In 2017, he started Truly Social Games, which has offices in Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and Belarus.
He is a resident of Clackamas County, according to court documents.
In her lawsuit, McCaslin, who worked as a bartender beginning in 2017, alleges that DuBois "repeatedly" hugged and kissed her without consent. McCaslin says she reported the behavior to her managers, but no action was taken. She quit in February 2020.
Elder, who booked live music for the club, alleges that on July 4, 2019, DuBois "forcefully grabbed an intimate part of her body below her waist, with no warning, against her will and without permission."
McCaslin is seeking $750,000 in damages, while Elder is only looking for $1.
"It's about the message at this juncture," says Elder's attorney, Lake Perriguey, who is also representing McCaslin.
Attorneys for DuBois and the Liquor Store's ownership group, RNC Holdings LLC, did not respond to requests for comment.
In an email to WW, Liquor Store owner Ray Morrone wrote that the bar has "always worked very hard to provide a welcoming and safe place for all of our employees and guests," but declined to comment further.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the date when McCaslin quit her job at the Liquor Store.