A United States federal judge has dismissed a discrimination lawsuit brought against casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd, by nine women who alleged they had been sexually harassed by Steve Wynn, the firm’s founder and former chairman and chief executive.
Wynn Resorts controls Macau casino licensee Wynn Macau Ltd. The Wynn parent firm has also identified itself as a suitor for a casino licence in Japan.
Media outlets in the U.S. reported that on July 15, the U.S. District Court for Nevada said the women had failed to convince it of the need for them to stay anonymous, compared to the public interest in having the allegations aired more openly.
The ruling also suggested the plaintiffs had been too vague in their allegations, without enough specific information to support their claims.
Formal allegations by the women in March 2018 of discrimination by Wynn Resorts, made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, had not been considered as they had not been submitted to the court, according to the ruling.
According to reports of the ruling, there is still the option for the women to plead their allegations again, in a different way.
Mr Wynn resigned from his roles at Wynn Resorts in February 2018, amid a number of specific allegations of sexual misconduct by him against some female staff. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In February 2019 the Nevada Gaming Commission imposed a US$20-million penalty on Wynn Resorts for 10 violations of the state’s Gaming Control Act and the commission’s rules, concerning failure to take appropriate action regarding allegations of sexual misconduct made against Mr Wynn and at least one other unnamed executive.
