Naima Mora
Model Naima Mora arrives at the NYLON December/January Cover Launch Party Sponsored by McDonald's at Quixote Studios on Thursday, December 5, 2013 in West Hollywood, CA
(Paul A. Hebert | AP)
A former "America's Next Top Model" winner is accusing a manager of spanking her in a sexual harassment lawsuit.
TMZ reports Naima Mora, who won Cycle 4 of the modeling competition in 2005, has filed a suit against the Alberta Ferretti boutique in West Hollywood, California. Mora claims she was targeted with inappropriate comments and unwanted advances while working as a sales associate in 2015.
Mora alleges her manager escalated the harassment by slapping her butt in front of her co-workers, humiliating her after a staff meeting. She also says he physically assaulted her by shoving her head.
According to the Daily Mail, Mora says she complained to HR but the situation only got worse. She started suffering panic attacks and had to resign from the job.
The manager has not been publicly identified. Alberta Ferretti is an Italian fashion designer with stores bearing her name across the world.
The company that owns the Hollywood shop has not commented on the lawsuit.
Mora, a Detroit native, was crowned the "America's Next Top Model" winner at age 20 and went on to appear in Cover Girl, Elle magazine and Us Weekly. The Daily Mail adds she appeared at New York Fashion Week in 2007 and released a book, "Naima Mora's Model Behavior," in 2012.
She released a clothing line last year, Naima x Hitoma, with designer Geo Hitoma.