KANSAS CITY — A woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was sexually harassed by an investor and later retaliated against by multiple related cannabis and hemp companies after reporting the misconduct.
Mary Olinger, a Clay County resident, alleges that Missouri Hemp Improvement Company, Besame Wellness and Besame Wellness Replacement engaged in harassment and retaliation that ultimately led to her termination, according to a complaint filed Nov. 12 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Olinger asserts that she has exhausted the required administrative process, including filing discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Sept. 10, 2024.
The complaint states that Olinger, born in 1970, began working for the companies in March 2021.
She was hired as a receptionist at a BesaMe Wellness dispensary in Kansas City but was transferred later that year to Missouri Hemp Improvement Company’s administrative offices, which operated out of another BesaMe dispensary in North Kansas City.
Her job evolved into assisting the Director of Transportation, Aaron Turvey, and she eventually became Assistant Director of Transportation.
Olinger alleges her efforts significantly contributed to the growth of MHIC’s logistics business, which supported the cannabis operations of BesaMe Wellness and later Besame Wellness Replacement.
Olinger regularly met with CEO Tom Elafros as part of her administrative responsibilities.
During a 2023 discussion about her background in sales and marketing, Elafros allegedly asked if she wanted Turvey’s job, which she declined.
Olinger claims she later told him that Turvey did not support her in her role and that she managed her duties independently.
In June 2023, she was transferred to the Gladstone BesaMe Wellness location.
There, she and Elafros discussed a proposed reorganization, and he asked if she wanted to enter a marketing role.
She again declined, later agreeing only to temporarily assist with marketing duties until a permanent employee could be hired.
The complaint states that in the fall of 2023, investor Phil Snowden was frequently present at the Gladstone location and was “widely known” among female employees for harassing conduct.
Olinger alleges that on one occasion Snowden cornered her in the office, placed his hands near the sides of her breasts, and said, “I can’t touch them can I?”
She says she reported this to HR representative Jessica Casswell as well as to Turvey. Olinger later learned, according to the filing, that management and HR were already aware that Snowden was “handsy” and engaged in openly harassing behavior.
Soon after she reported the incident, the complaint states that Olinger was passed over for a job advancement opportunity for which she was qualified.
Despite believing she was the most qualified candidate, she alleges that upper management, including Jack Mitchell, informed her she had not been selected and that her job title would be changed. After the meeting, she claims she told Turvey that their actions reflected the “good old boys club” within the companies.
Within a week, Olinger was fired by Turvey, the complaint says. During the termination meeting, Turvey allegedly told her repeatedly that Missouri is a right-to-work state, a phrase Olinger alleges she heard him and Mitchell invoke when dealing with employee issues.
She states that her job duties were altered shortly after she reported Snowden’s conduct and that her termination occurred after she made complaints of sexual harassment.
Olinger is seeking damages exceeding $75,000, along with attorney fees, costs and other relief allowable under Title VII. She is represented by R. Mark Nasteff Jr. and Amy D. Quinn of Nasteff & Quinn in Liberty.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri case number: 4:25-cv-00886
