Joe Francis Fights Back Against His Los Angeles 'Sexual Harassment/Sexual Battery' Accuser

Joe Francis Fights Back Against His Los Angeles 'Sexual Harassment/Sexual Battery' Accuser

Girls Gone Wild CEO Re-Launches 'You Be The Judge' Section of His Website - This Time to Fight a Frivolous Claim of Sexual Harassment Against Him

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis announced that the "You Be The Judge" section of his MeetJoeFrancis.com website has turned its attention to yet another frivolous lawsuit brought against Francis and his company, this time for sexual harassment and sexual battery. Recently, Francis's website exposed the misrepresentations of two women who had sued Francis for supposedly using footage of the women without their permission. When Francis's website MeetJoeFrancis.com/YouBeTheJudge posted video that showed the women clearly giving their full permission for Girls Gone Wild to use the footage, the women quickly withdrew their lawsuit and issued a public apology to Joe Francis and Girls Gone Wild.

Now, Joe Francis is fighting back against another frivolous lawsuit, this time brought by Tranae Hammond, who worked at the Girls Gone Wild call center in Los Angeles. Hammond claims that Francis is responsible for her wrongful termination and also made claims of sexual harassment and sexual battery -- even though she has never even met Francis.

The call center is one of five corporate locations in Los Angeles where Mantra Films employees over 375 people. Hammond was terminated in July 2006 after accumulating 13 different warnings for workplace infractions, primarily for being late and for missing days of work. Francis rarely visits the call center. Hammond never met Francis, yet she names him personally in a lawsuit filed by Torance, California attorney Matthew J. Matern in which she claims that her termination was based on her gender, and that Joe Francis caused her "great physical and emotional harm." Her complaint alleges "emotional and mental stress, anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, fright, shock, pain, discomfort, depression and anxiety" -- and that some of these injuries are "permanent in nature."

Hammond didn't file her lawsuit against Joe Francis until a year after she was terminated -- and just as Francis' legal challenges in Florida began getting widespread media coverage when a judge put Francis is jail for refusing to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the same judge's ex-law partner.

"I take these outrageous allegations of sexual harassment very seriously," says Francis. "Mantra Films employs over a hundred women, and I've never had a claim of sexual harassment in the history of the company. This is just another example of someone trying to make money off me with false accusations. I have never even met this woman. I am tired of these lies being used against me in an attempt to extort money from me and destroy my name. As I have said previously, I will sue any individual or lawyer who brings baseless allegations against me."

The website, which can be accessed through a link on MeetJoeFrancis.com, invites visitors to review the facts of the lawsuit, see Hammond's picture and then vote whether they believe Francis is guilty of sexual harassment.

Joe Francis

Joe Francis (born April 1, 1973), is best known as the founder and CEO of the Girls Gone Wild (GGW) lifestyle brand, which has become an American pop culture phenomenon. Francis graduated from the University of Southern California in 1995 with a degree in business, and founded Mantra Films, his global entertainment company, at age 24.

Corporate Overview

Mantra Films, Inc. develops and distributes lifestyle entertainment to audiences worldwide through home video, television, live event, wireless, Internet, SVOD, and Pay Per View distribution channels. The company is a leader in the direct response marketing and membership segments and owns and operates its own production facilities and call center. Best known for the Girls Gone Wild (GGW) lifestyle brand, which has become an American pop culture phenomenon.

CONTACT: Kevin A. Mercuri 212-999-5585 kmercuri@5wpr.com

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Source: Mantra Films, Inc.

CONTACT: Kevin A. Mercuri for Mantra Films, Inc., +1-212-999-5585,
kmercuri@5wpr.com

Web site: http://meetjoefrancis.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment