Fort Myers attorney denies lawsuit claims of ex-employees’ rape, other sex crimes

Accusations of rape and asking to trade sex for payment: That’s what’s at the center of a federal lawsuit filed against a Fort Myers attorney.

Attorney Guichard St. Surin responded Monday after four women who used to work for him say he abused his position of power to sexually harass them.

One of St. Surin’s former employees is accusing him of rape, and the lawsuit also alleges he solicited sex from clients who couldn’t afford an attorney. He denies this and each of the claims outlined in the lawsuit, which included unpaid wages, sexual assault, battery, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and forcible confinement.

Attorney Benjamin Yormak in Bonita Springs is representing the women whose damages add up to nearly $5 million.

“It’s not just limited to what we would experience if we broke an arm. It hurts for a while, it heals, we move on,” Yormak said. “These are scars that are never going to go away. And we’re going to do everything we can to make it right, but we are cognizant the scars are going to stay.”

In St. Surin’s response, he does admit to showing one of his former employees the gun he kept in his office but denies that it was to further sexual relations. He also denies making them take personality tests and the notion that he only hires women. He countered that he did employ a man while two of the female employees were working there.

St. Surin says the complaint “Fails to allege facts sufficient to state a cause of action” for the claims and at all times he and his firm acted in good faith and “Without any intent to deprive plaintiffs of any civil rights.”

Yormak told us he’s confident in the evidence they have to prove St. Surin’s behavior. We contacted St. Surin and did not receive a response.