Philanthropist accused of calling butler ‘sissy’ and making him sleep on floor loses lawsuit
Gala Co-Chair and 175th Anniversary Chair Daisy M. Soros speaks at New York Philharmonic’s Opening Gala Celebrating the 175th Anniversary Season at David Geffen Hall on September 21, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for New York Philharmonic)
A wealthyĀ American philanthropist will have to pay out more thanĀ $38,000Ā afterĀ being sued by her former butler for allegedly making homophobic remarks and making him sleep on the floor.
Daisy Soros, who is theĀ sister-in-law of George Soros, one of the world’s most successful investors,Ā is accused of making abusive remarks toĀ butlerĀ Zahied Mohammed, reports theĀ New York Daily News.
Soros, who was married to the late Paul Soros, a mechanical engineer and investor, must now cough upĀ $38,079.46 to Mohammed, who claims she once told him that she hadĀ “money and I can treat people however I want.”
In the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, last April, Trinidad-born Mohammed, who is gay,Ā said that Soros called him aĀ “sissy” and at one point told him: “It’s better to be married to your husband than to go out there and get AIDS.”
MohammedĀ then said he confronted Soros over the comment, which he felt stereotyped gay people as promiscuous, to which he claimed she responded: “That’s what you all say.”
Financier and philanthropist George Soros. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty)
He also alleged that theĀ philanthropistĀ forced him to sleep on a mattress on the floor ā while white, straight members staff of staff were allowed to sleep in beds.
The former butlerĀ claimed that Soros bullied him “in a manner she never treated any white or heterosexual employees.”
SorosĀ runs a fellowship programme ā calledĀ Paul & Daisy Soros FellowshipsĀ for New AmericansĀ āĀ for immigrants to the USĀ and their children.
PinkNews has contacted the fellowship program for comment.
In an interview withĀ New York Daily NewsĀ in April, Mohammed said: “I was disgusted. Not every gay person sleeps around.”
He addedĀ that Soros’ treatmentĀ made himĀ “feel like a slave, I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
Mohammed began working as a weekend butler for Soros in October 2013, and finally complained to his boss in September 2016 after he wasn’t paid for several days.
“My last name is Soros and I know some very powerful people,” Soros reportedly yelled in response. “You are nobody and I will fire you the next time you talk to me about anything that is not your f—–g business.”
Daisy Soros and guest attend the Met Opera 2016-2017 Season Opening Performance of “Tristan Und Isolde” at The Metropolitan Opera House on September 26, 2016 in New York City. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty)
Soros will now have to pay MohammedĀ $14,000Ā in back pay, $14,000Ā in damages, and $10,000Ā in lawyer costs.
Soros was born in Hungary but later moved to the US after enrolling at Columbia University.
She has received a number of awards and honours for her philanthropic work.
Soros also holds aĀ number of senior posts at arts organisations, includingĀ secretary on the board of the New York Philharmonic and advisory directorĀ of the Metropolitan Opera.
