Court: Larry Flynt’s Former Employee Is Bound to Arbitration

LOS ANGELES — The complaint filed by Larry Flynt’s former secretary, who claimed she was disrupted from her work when hearing the Hustler publisher having sex with prostitutes in his office, must be decided in arbitration, an appeals court ruled.

In an unpublished opinion released Thursday, the 2nd District Appeals Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that Cheryl Oldham’s lawsuit could proceed. The judge in that case found that Oldham could sue despite an arbitration agreement in her employee handbook.

Oldham began working at Larry Flynt Publications, Inc. in 1999 and signed an acknowledgement she received an employee handbook containing a binding arbitration clause. That acknowledgement “made it clear that waiver of arbitration required the consent of [Oldham] and [Flynt],” the judges wrote in the unanimous decision.

A lower court judge found that Oldham was not bound by the agreement because it was “unfairly weighted toward Flynt,” according to a wire report.

The age harassment claim stems comes from Oldham’s allegations that Flynt retaliated against her for helping another female employee in a similar claim. In a meeting where Flynt asked her to lie about hearing sex noises from his office, Flynt called Oldham “overweight, unattractive, over 50 and probably unable to find another job,” according to her lawsuit. Finally, following an arbitration hearing in the other woman’s claim, Flynt demoted Oldham to a receptionist position at his video company.

Oldham also alleged that “loud, obnoxious and repeated noises of sexual gratification that disrupted the office” made her unable to perform her job duties.

The case is Oldham vs. Flynt, B195911.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Ofcom Fines OnlyFans Parent Company Over Inaccurate Age Verification Reporting

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom has fined OnlyFans parent company Fenix International Ltd. $1.36 million for inaccurate reporting of its age verification measures.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club, Some Laws Just Make No Sense

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Swedish Court Rules LELO Products Do Not Infringe 'Invalid' Satisfyer Patent

A Swedish district court has ruled that a patent filed by Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH is not valid, and therefore three products from pleasure brand LELO are not in violation.

North Dakota House Committee Questions Anti-Porn 'Public Health Hazard' Claim

The North Dakota House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday amended a resolution that would have recognized pornography as a “public health hazard,” instead replacing that language with a call for further study into whether such a designation is appropriate.

Wyoming Governor Signs Age Verification Law

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed the state's new age verification bill into law yesterday.

Florida Bill Would Auto-Filter Porn for All Users, Not Just Minors

Florida lawmakers have introduced legislation to require manufacturers to equip tablets and smartphones with a filter that would prevent all users from accessing material deemed harmful to minors, to be automatically enabled on devices activated in that state.

Show More