A high-ranking roofing company executive stands accused in a federal lawsuit of orchestrating a relentless campaign of sexual violence, drugging, and racist harassment against his assistant, exposing a toxic corporate culture reminiscent of a bygone era and raising urgent questions about accountability in high-powered industries.
The lawsuit, filed anonymously in Manhattan federal court this month, paints a harrowing picture of Michael Gowl, Jr., the then-executive chairman of PAX Services Group. The plaintiff, a highly educated African immigrant in her late 20s, alleges a pattern of “deviant, predatory and reprehensible conduct” that began shortly after her hiring in late 2023.
A Descent into a Corporate “Horror Story”
The complaint details how professional boundaries eroded with alarming speed. The alleged misconduct began with inappropriate personal texts from Gowl, sent mere weeks into her employment and while his wife was in the hospital after giving birth to their fifth child. The suit claims these messages escalated into a series of calculated assaults under the guise of business.
The first alleged assault occurred in January 2024 at the upscale Manhattan restaurant Nobu. The plaintiff states she was lured there under the pretense of a business meeting. After briefly leaving her drink unattended, she reported feeling “euphoric, dizzy, and disoriented.” The lawsuit claims Gowl then escorted her to his nearby hotel room, where he attempted to force himself on her while showing explicit videos.
Pattern of Alleged Assaults and Chilling Statements
The suit details two subsequent alleged attacks: one at Gowl’s marital home in Florida, with his infant child’s crib nearby, and another during a purported work trip to the Bahamas. The Florida incident is described with particularly disturbing detail, alleging that Gowl choked her during the assault and later bragged it was his “favorite thing” because it made her “quieter and sweeter when half-conscious.”
Beyond the physical assaults, the lawsuit depicts an environment of pervasive psychological abuse and racism. The plaintiff alleges Gowl boasted that he “only hires women under 30 with big breasts… and questionable morals,” a claim supported by text messages included in the filing. He also instructed her to “stop dressing like a mormon” and “show more cleavage.”
The racism alleged is equally severe. The suit claims Gowl texted that a young relative “loves a good n—–r joke” and excluded a Black colleague from meetings, allegedly stating the man “is a n—–r and he smells weird.” The plaintiff described the office atmosphere as literally akin to the TV show ‘Mad Men’, referencing the show’s portrayal of a sexist and out-of-control 1960s advertising agency.
Corporate Response and Legal Complexities
The defendant companies, PAX Services Group and its new owner New State, have issued a response acknowledging they take the claims “seriously” but denying they condoned any wrongdoing. They further contest the plaintiff’s employment status, claiming she was not technically on their corporate payroll but was paid through a related LLC, which is also named as a defendant in the suit.
Gowl himself has vehemently denied the allegations to the press, calling the suit a collection of “outright lies” geared toward a “financial windfall.” PAX also stated that Gowl has not been involved with the Maryland-based company since early 2024, though his biography remained on the company website as recently as June 2025, a detail confirmed by an Internet Archive record.
Retaliation and Ongoing Harassment
When the plaintiff finally confronted Gowl and demanded the alleged abuse stop, the lawsuit claims the retaliation was “immediate.” It alleges he threatened her life, stating, “I will come after you and end your life,” before firing her during a meeting that was supposedly to discuss a promotion.
The terror did not end with her termination, according to the suit. It alleges Gowl hired a retired FBI agent to stalk her social circle. This individual allegedly “flashed” his retired badge and spread rumors that she was a “scammer,” which resulted in her only family in the U.S. cutting her off. The lawsuit further claims Gowl sabotaged a new job offer she had secured.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Bennitta Joseph, underscored the profound power imbalance at the heart of the case, stating her client “should never have had to be in a situation where she would ever have to choose between her livelihood and having to tolerate any type of sexual advances in the workplace.”
Broader Implications for Corporate America
This case arrives amid a continued national reckoning with workplace conduct, power dynamics, and accountability, echoing movements like #MeToo. The specific allegations—drugging, violent assault, racist harassment, and the alleged involvement of a former law enforcement officer in post-employment retaliation—are extreme, but they highlight vulnerabilities that can exist when corporate power goes unchecked.
The lawsuit forces a examination of several critical issues:
- The legal responsibility of parent companies for the actions of executives within their portfolio.
- The effectiveness of corporate HR structures in protecting employees, particularly when allegations involve top leadership.
- The long-term psychological impact on survivors of workplace trauma, with the plaintiff reporting she now suffers from chronic PTSD and severe depression.
The plaintiff told reporters her motivation is to make this a “cautionary tale,” quoting one of Jeffrey Epstein‘s survivors: “I’m traumatized, but I’m not stupid.” Her case represents a fierce battle for accountability against a powerful individual and the corporate structures behind him.
As this lawsuit progresses through the federal court system, it will be a critical test of the legal system’s capacity to address complex allegations of high-level corporate misconduct and its devastating human cost. For the latest, most authoritative analysis on breaking legal and corporate news, continue reading at onlytrustedinfo.com.
