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Former ‘Idol’ employee sues show, Vazquez

One-time assistant accountant details alleged sexual harassment

Access Hollywood
updated 8:50 p.m. ET March 12, 2007

LOS ANGELES - “American Idol” and former Season 4 finalist Mario Vazquez are being sued by an ex-employee of the popular program who alleges he was fired for complaining of sexual harassment.

Vazquez, a handsome, popular contestant, left the show, two seasons ago for personal reasons, telling Access Hollywood at the time, “(It) has nothing to do with my family, nothing with me being sick, nothing like that. Basically there will be lots of hearsay on certain things,” he added.

Now however, an “Idol” controversy has erupted suggesting Vazquez may have actually left the show because accusations of sexual harassment on the contestant’s part came to light.

Magdaleno Olmos, a former assistant production accountant, filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Vazquez of harassing him and “Idol” of letting him go, for reporting the issue.

In court papers obtained by City News Service, Olmos claims Vazquez followed him into a bathroom, and opened the door to a stall the “Idol” worker was in. Olmos further accuses Vazquez of having touched him in a “sexual” way and asking the worker “if he wanted oral sex.”

Olmos also claims he complained to a supervisor but was told “that he was crazy, was imagining this and should keep this information to himself because no one would believe his account,” CNS reported.

Calls for comment by City News Service to Spokesmen for Fremantle and Fox Entertainment, as well as Vazquez’s personal lawyer, Jess L. Rosen, were not immediately returned.

Olmos is suing for wrongful termination and violation of the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Copyright 2008 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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