A former McDonald’s chief govt has requested a US court docket to dismiss the company’s lawsuit versus him for allegedly obtaining sexual interactions with staff members.

The quick food giant sued Stephen Easterbrook, who grew up in Watford, Hertfordshire, past 7 days in an try to reclaim tens of millions of bucks in payment paid to him subsequent his firing very last November.

He was sacked immediately after he admitted to exchanging films and text messages in a consensual, non-bodily partnership with an personnel, which a lookup of his cellphone verified.

Mr Easterbrook, 52, was authorized to maintain far more than $42m (£32m) in inventory-based rewards following he mentioned the romantic relationship was consensual but admitted it violated firm policies.

He also acquired 26 months of pay back, amounting to about $670,000 (£503,000).

McDonald’s reported it conducted another investigation previous month just after it obtained an anonymous suggestion that Mr Easterbrook experienced a actual physical romantic relationship with yet another employee.

The organization alleges it has since uncovered that its former main govt experienced sexual associations with a few staff members and destroyed the proof.

McDonald’s board stated it would not have agreed to Mr Easterbrook’s separation settlement if it had that facts when he was fired.

The company has also accused him of approving an “remarkable” stock grant really worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for a person of the workers throughout their alleged affair.

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In a response submitted at Delaware Chancery Court, Mr Easterbrook said McDonald’s employed outside the house attorneys to examine his conduct, which include interviewing workforce and examining digital details, before it signed off on his severance package.

“McDonald’s is improperly attempting to get out of its deal 9 months after the actuality and regardless of admitting it generally possessed the info on which is it now relying,” explained his reaction.

Mr Easterbrook also statements the scenario should be tried in Illinois, where by McDonald’s is based in Chicago, not Delaware.

McDonald’s turned down his arguments on Monday, with a spokesman declaring: “McDonald’s stands by its criticism, both of those the factual assertions and the court docket in which it was submitted.”

Mr Easterbrook and his wife, who have 3 little ones alongside one another, divorced in 2015, the exact year he took up the best career.

He was considered to have been earning $15.9m (£12m) a year and is credited with turning the ageing fast food items chain’s fortunes close to, almost doubling its benefit as he switched to cage-totally free eggs, antibiotic-free of charge rooster and hormone-no cost milk.

Workers’ pay was also raised over the least wage under Mr Easterbrook and he gave distinctive regions a lot more control around their menus.

McDonald’s, like quite a few US companies, has a zero tolerance policy with regards to key sexual relationships.