Renowned architect Sir David Adjaye, the founder of David Adjaye Associates, has recently been accused of engaging in sexual misconduct and subjecting his employees to extremely harsh working conditions.
A report published by the Financial Times details a series of incidents where Sir David Adjaye allegedly attempted or succeeded in sexually assaulting female staff members within his architectural company.
One particular incident described in the report involves an alleged attempt by Sir David Adjaye to have non-consensual sex with a female employee in a bathroom at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Excerpts from the Financial Times report recount the incident as follows:
Maya, who decided to remain at the company, traveled to South Africa in mid-2019 to collaborate with Adjaye on a project launch.
The day after the launch event, Maya and Adjaye went to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to catch separate flights. Their versions of events diverge after arriving at the airport. Maya claims that Adjaye demanded she join him in the bathroom. At the time, she was confused but thought it might involve reorganizing their luggage.
Once inside the bathroom, Maya asserts that Adjaye forcefully pushed her against a baby-changing table, lifted her skirt, moved aside her underwear, and forcibly pressed his genitals against her. Despite her shock, she managed to push him away and shouted, “No, David!” She alleges that he then ejaculated in the sink, adjusted himself, and left the restroom.
Maya expressed feelings of sickness and worthlessness after the incident. She was so traumatized that she has no memory of her flight back to Ghana that day.
It is important to note that Sir David Adjaye’s legal team denied the allegations, suggesting that the woman involved, whose identity has been concealed, attempted to extort money from him. According to Adjaye’s lawyers, this allegation emerged after the fact with the intention of extracting a payment from him or his company. They argue that it stems from Maya’s alleged poor work performance, leading to her dismissal. Although Adjaye’s legal response indicated the existence of an “intimate relationship” between Adjaye and Maya prior to her employment, she firmly denies this claim.
Adjaye’s legal team presented a second email allegedly sent from Maya’s account, in which she demanded $120,000. Maya does not recall sending the second email, but she maintains that she had already made the same allegations and suggested compensation in the initial correspondence.
Please be aware that the above summary is based on information from the Financial Times report and does not express a stance on the veracity of the allegations.
Source: Myinfogh.com
