Britney Spears Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Britney Spears settles sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former bodyguard Fernando Flores.

Britney Spears has reportedly completed mediation regarding a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2010 by former bodyguard, 31-year-old Fernando Flores. Financial terms of the settlement remain confidential.

Flores, a former police officer, was employed by Spears from February to July of 2010. The lawsuit stated that during this time, Flores witnessed the 30-year-old singer engaged in sexual relations, and that she would often engage in such behavior while her children were present.

The alleged victim of unwanted sexual advances, Flores also stated that Spears considered him “a sex plaything.”

In addition to the sex-related accusations, Flores alleged that Spears was abusive toward her children, citing an instance in which Spears borrowed his own belt to beat her eldest son, Sean Preston.

The lawsuit also indicated that Spears had knowingly fed her children crabmeat, despite previous knowledge that they were allergic to seafood. Spears subsequently refused to seek out medical care for the vomiting children, Flores alleged.

All of Flores’ claims have been denied by Spears and her representatives, with ex-husband Kevin Federline calling the allegations “baseless.” According to the Spears camp, a formal investigation was conducted by the Department of Children and Family Services, and this case was closed with no further action pending.

Despite claiming this was little more than an attempt to “sully her reputation,” Spears appeared before a private mediator to settle the case out of court. Referring employment law cases to mediation is actually a common practice, as it gives the parties involved in the dispute an opportunity to settle their differences away from prying eyes. This was not exactly the case for Spears given her high profile, but a Princeton employment law attorney would most likely counsel a client to behave amicably in mediation sessions to help reach an agreement with their employer.

Unfortunately for Spears, her legal woes will continue thanks to a lawsuit involving former manager Sam Lufti. She is also being sued by Advanced Security Concepts Corporation, to which she owes outstanding fees totaling $141,625 for security services.