Former park employee sues Cedar Fair

SANDUSKY — A former Cedar Point employee has filed suit alleging the park's security force failed to protect her from being raped in an employee dorm. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio last year, the woman alleges Cedar Point's parent company, Cedar Fair, L.P., created conditions that led to her rape. According to the complaint, after work on Aug. 12, 2020, the woman and her alleged attacker attended a party for another coworker at Castaway Bay. After leaving the party, the plaintiff, her alleged attacker and two other co-workers returned to the Commons dormitory complex. While in line at the security checkpoint, the attacker asked the victim for her contact information, the complaint states. After clearing the security checkpoint between 1:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2020, the plaintiff went to her dormitory, the Millennium House, which was for women only. The complaint states that approximately 90 minutes after returning from the party, the alleged attacker entered the victim's room, closed the door, and forcibly raped her. The plaintiff was able to escape her attacker after the rape. She fled to the dorm's main entrance but was unable to find anyone to assist her. She then re-entered the dorm, ran to a restroom and sent text messages to family members, who contacted Sandusky police. The suit alleges that Cedar Fair reduced police and security staffing levels at the Commons and that action led to an increased likelihood of sexual assaults ocurring. The woman alleges Cedar Fair, L.P., owed her "duty of reasonable care to prevent workplace conditions from arising that put her at risk of harm." The suit alleges Cedar Fair's breach of duty led to "physical injury, psychological trauma and mental anguish that negatively affect her life to this day, and will so for the rest of her life," and asks the court to award her damages in excess of $25,000, attorney fees, costs and interest. Cedar Fair answered the complaint with a motion to dismiss claiming the plaintiff would be unable to establish that her employer "knew or should have known about the harassment but failed to stop it," as required by a decision in a 1999 court case, Hafford v. Seidner. The defendant's motion claims the plaintiff does not state any claims under which relief could be granted to her, and as such, asks the court to dismiss the lawsuit. The federal court docket does not list any future court dates in the case.