A federal jury on Wednesday awarded nearly $12 million to an Iowa woman who accused her former co-workers at a toy company of sexual harassment.
Danielle Rennenger worked at ToyQuest in Indianola for less than a year between 2007 and 2008. She was fired after filing a formal complaint about the conduct of a male supervisor.
“It started with just inappropriate, being referred to as luscious lips, bitches, whores, and then it progressively got worse throughout my employment,” Rennenger said. ToyQuest is a division of Manley Toys Direct, which is a subsidiary of companies based in Hong Kong. Rennenger said she and her female co-workers had difficult time determining where to turn.
“We all researched the handbooks and tried to find who we needed to report to. The dilemma was the handbook only stated you report to the supervisor. Well, the supervisor was the one causing, you know, the harassment,” Rennenger said. The jury awarded Rennenger $11.9 million, including $10 million in punitive damages.
“I feel like, finally, I was heard. I feel like I can breathe,” Rennenger said. Other women who worked for ToyQuest have filed similar lawsuits that are pending. ToyQuest no longer has an operation in Indianola. Rennenger now lives in Oklahoma City.