More women come forward in $46m harassment case

Mark McInnes. Photo / Getty Images

Former David Jones chief executive Mark McInnes has been accused of sexually harassing eight more workers by the lawyer of the woman who sued him and the Australian department store for A$37 million ($46.6 million).

Three current or former workers who claim they were harassed by other David Jones staff will be added to the lawsuit of Kristy Fraser-Kirk, her lawyer Rachel Francois told the Sydney Federal Court yesterday.

McInnes made repeated, unwelcome, sexual advances, Fraser-Kirk, a 27-year-old publicist at the country's second-biggest department store chain, claimed in an August 2 lawsuit.

Her claim for punitive damages of 5 per cent of the company's profit and McInnes' earnings from 2003 to 2010 amounts to about A$37 million, which she says will be given to charity.

McInnes, 45, who resigned six weeks before the lawsuit, said on August 15 that many of Fraser-Kirk's allegations "are simply not true".

He said he would defend himself against the allegations.

Six of his eight alleged new victims are current or former David Jones employees, according to Francois.

Two others claim he harassed them at another workplace, she said.

David Jones, which said on June 18 that it took Fraser-Kirk's allegations of misconduct seriously, said it would also defend itself against the legal claims.

The claim is worth at least 22 per cent of estimated 2010 earnings.

New chief executive Paul Zahra has affirmed profit forecasts and the company's strategy of targeting affluent female customers with designer fashions in cities and high-income suburbs.

Fraser-Kirk is also seeking unspecified damages for losses she has suffered from the case.

- BLOOMBERG