Lawsuit Alleges Abercrombie & Fitch Enabled Sexual Exploitation of Men by Ex-CEO

Several men have brought forth a collective legal action, claiming that Abercrombie & Fitch had knowingly participated in a sex trafficking scheme led by their former CEO over a period of ten years.

As stated in the complaint filed last Friday in a federal court in New York, Michael Jeffries, who served as the company's CEO from 1992 to 2014, "exploited his position as Abercrombie's CEO to target charming young men under the false pretense of hiring them as Abercrombie models."

Abercrombie & Fitch declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings, according to CNN.

According to the complaint, Jeffries is accused of running a wide-reaching sex-trafficking scheme, where he allegedly compelled and manipulated young men into performing sexual acts in return for monetary compensation and promises of job opportunities.

According to the lawsuit, an aspiring model was invited to several Abercrombie & Fitch casting events in New York, France, and London, where she was sexually assaulted on at least seven occasions. The model was deceived into thinking that this process was necessary to become an Abercrombie model.

The lawsuit states that there are over 100 victims in total, and attorney Brittany Henderson, a partner at the firm representing some of the plaintiffs, believes that more men will come forward following the filing.

"Gender does not serve as a basis for discrimination in sexual exploitation," stated Henderson in an interview with CNN. "For many years, men have been victims of exploitation in the modeling and fashion industries. The #MeToo movement has sparked a powerful movement in our nation, encouraging survivors to step forward and have their voices heard. This case is critical in the progress of the #MeToo movement, as it aims to eradicate sexual exploitation across all genders in the industry, with Abercrombie & Fitch being the starting point."

The plaintiffs are requesting a trial before a jury and seek both punitive and compensatory damages.

"Mr. Jeffries has declined to provide any comment to the press regarding this new lawsuit, as he has similarly refrained from doing so in the past with regard to legal disputes. Our focus will be on addressing this matter within the courtroom," stated Brian Bieber, the attorney representing Jeffries, in an interview with CNN.

The complaint filed also includes Matthew Smith, Mr. Jeffries' long-term partner, as a defendant, alleging that he participated in the sexual assault of individuals alongside Mr. Jeffries. Despite not holding an official position at the company, the complaint argues that Smith had access to sensitive information such as sales reports and financial documents and was granted "managerial authority."

Bieber mentioned that Smith currently does not have a lawyer representing him. It is unclear whether he has hired legal representation, according to CNN's investigation.

The lawsuit, consisting of 21 counts, attributes nine of those counts to Abercrombie & Fitch. It accuses the company of being aware of Jeffries and Smith's abusive behavior and intentionally ignoring the significant amount of money Jeffries withdrew from corporate accounts to compensate victims.

The complaint states that Jeffries needed a corporation like Abercrombie, which was aware of his illegal activities and showed no concern. This negligence holds Abercrombie & Fitch accountable for the physical and emotional harm experienced by the plaintiffs due to the alleged assault by Jeffries and Smith.

According to the lawsuit, Abercrombie financially benefited from the sex-trafficking venture by employing male models to promote their brand image. At the same time, they kept Jeffries satisfied and productive, enabling him to rebrand the company and turn it into a billion-dollar industry leader.

Less than a month after the BBC published claims from eight men who accused Jeffries and his partner Smith of exploiting them for sexual purposes, a lawsuit has been filed. The men claimed that they were recruited through an intermediary who utilized a network of recruiters and were paid $500 to $1,000 for each referral. This information was revealed in the BBC report, which marked the conclusion of a two-year investigation.

Following the release of the BBC report, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that it had initiated an internal investigation into the allegations.

"The company's current executive leadership team and board of directors were unaware of Mr. Jeffries' alleged sexual misconduct," the retailer stated to CNN earlier this month. "Over the past decade, our new executive leadership team and revitalized board of directors have effectively reshaped our brands and culture into an organization driven by our core values. We emphatically condemn any form of abuse, harassment, or discrimination."