EEOC suit alleges metro-east cannabis dispensary allowed sexual harassment
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday filed a federal lawsuit against cannibas cultivator and retailer Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc., alleging it failed to address sexual harassment reported by women who worked at its Collinsville dispensary.
Ascend’s Collinsville facility is at 1014 Eastport Plaza Drive, according to its website. The alleged harassment there included touching, sexual comments, sexual advances, requests for sex, and comments about the appearance and bodies of women employees and customers, according to the complaint.
Company officials from Ascend could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations.
The conduct is alleged to have happened in the presence of supervisors. At least two supervisors are accused of participating. It began at least as early as February 2021, the lawsuit states. Women workers reported it to human resources managers who “failed or refused to stop the conduct,” the EEOC alleges in the lawsuit.
“The alleged harassment in this case was particularly egregious because the facility manager himself engaged in the conduct and comments at issue, making it even more difficult for employees to complain and obtain relief,” David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office, stated in a news release about the lawsuit.
The complaint accused a supervisor of cornering a woman in a manager-only area, forcibly kissing her without her consent and forcing her hand to his genitals, in addition to other instances of sexual and unwelcome comments.
The Belleville News-Democrat is not naming him because he has not been charged with a crime in Madison County or federal courts, records show. The lawsuit states he was fired in July 2023.
One of the women said she quit her job at the dispensary as a result of the alleged sexual harassment. She is seeking back pay and lost benefits. Other women are also seeking damages from the company.
It is the BND’s policy not to name the victims of sexual abuse.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 5:06 PM.
