This article contains topics that may be disturbing to some readers.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. You can also refer to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault website for more resources as well as the City of Milwaukee Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Resources webpage.
Rogieross Calma, a hotel manager in Racine, has been charged with battery and two counts of sexual assault after allegedly sexually assaulting a fellow employee.
Several charges have also been filed against CHD Racine Hotel LLC (CHD), a North Carolina corporation that operates Delta Hotels By Marriott Racine. Those charges include sex discrimination and sexual harassment, hostile work environment, respondeat superior, and negligent hiring, training, and supervision.
According to court documents, the plaintiff, a Racine woman who has requested to remain anonymous, began working as a front desk agent at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Racine in July 2020. While working at Delta Marriott, she met and became friends with Calma, 33, a manager of the hotel who also lived at the hotel.
In September 2020, the plaintiff suffered a seizure at work, during which Calma cradled her and walked her to a hotel room to be aided by paramedics. After the seizure, Calma allegedly became more aggressive toward the plaintiff, especially in terms of physical contact.
According to the criminal complaint, Calma allegedly began to kiss her head when greeting her, attempt to hold her hand, put his arm around her waist, and offer her massages. The complaint says he would find excuses to be near her at all times, even if it meant leaving the front desk, where they would often work together, unattended. Calma had also started to buy the plaintiff gifts, even after the plaintiff expressed that his actions made her uncomfortable.
In February 2021, the plaintiff posted photos on a personal social media page and Calma allegedly responded to her post and made an inappropriate comment. After that incident, the plaintiff considered quitting and also reported the incident, and expressed her discomfort working with Calma, to her supervisor.
Her supervisor told the plaintiff that she would no longer be scheduled to work with Calma. However, when the plaintiff came back to work the next week, Calma ordered her food through a food delivery application as a means of apology and came down from the room he resided in at the hotel to talk to her.
After some time, Calma went back to working with the plaintiff and his behavior did not change, according to the complaint. He was still consistently trying to find ways to be alone with the plaintiff as well as trying to touch, grab, and hold her.
Due to Calma's behavior and her employer's seeming unwillingness to address it with him, the plaintiff quit her job in April 2021.
According to court documents, that same month, Calma offered marijuana to the plaintiff, which impaired her judgment. The plaintiff ended up in Calma's room at the hotel where he offered to give her a back rub and asked to touch her, and due to her impairment, she did not object, the complaint says. However, the plaintiff did object when she heard Calma trying to remove his pants. The plaintiff later woke up in Calma's car where he tried to force himself on her.
The plaintiff later confronted Calma about the unwanted encounters and he apologized and admitted that the physical contact was unwanted by the plaintiff.
The plaintiff decided to come back to Delta Marriott in May 2021 to give her employer, and Calma, a second chance in hopes Calma would change his actions, the complaint says.
In early May 2021, prosecutors say the plaintiff went to Calma's room to pick up an item he offered to iron for her. Calma offered her a back rub, but instead of massaging her back, he tried to force himself on her again. The plaintiff pushed his hand away, and Calma then sexually assaulted her.
After the incident, Calma called the plaintiff once she was home. The complaint says she told Calma that she had told him no continuously yet he still sexually assaulted her. He admitted that the plaintiff did not consent, apologized, and claimed he didn't know what came over him and that he wasn't able to control himself.
Three days after the sexual assault, the plaintiff decided to press charges against Calma. With the help of the Racine Police Department, while on a recorded phone call, the plaintiff got Calma to admit to hearing her say no countless times while he was violating her, the complaint says. Calma was arrested the next day.
His case is currently pending and his next court date will be in late March 2023.
During the entirety of her employment, CHD allegedly never offered counseling or any other assistance to the plaintiff for the emotional effects of the battery and sexual assaults by her fellow employee, Calma.
This case's next court dates are currently pending.
