Sydney Hayden was ordered to pay more than $160,000 to his former executive assistant after two assaults and years of sexual harassment.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Syd Hayden

CONTENT ADVISORY

Sydney Richard Hayden's executive assistant was stranded in another country, relying on strangers to help her, when he offered to pay her $79,000. All she had to do was be quiet about the beating he gave her on his yacht.

Struck with jealousy, after days of sexual harassment and assertion that he owns her, Hayden punched, kicked, choked and threw his assistant down the stars on the boat he called the "Waterfront Poverty."

He even told his dog Capone to attack once she was at the bottom of the stairs, but it just stood panting, according to a BC Human Rights Tribunal decision.

If it weren't for nearby strangers who heard the screaming, and marina security that boarded the boat, the assistant, who was 17 years younger than Hayden and had already suffered a sexual assault from him before, still believes she would have died.

He never coughed up the $79,000, but the BC Human Rights Tribunal ordered Hayden pay her more than double that five years later. 

This month, the tribunal found the unnamed assistant was owed more than $160,000 in damages and unpaid wages after an assault, sexual assault and years of sexual harassment and exploitation by her former employer. It doesn't appear Hayden was charged with crimes from any of these events. Hayden did not represent himself at the tribunal and the allegations have not been tested in a court of law.

The case comes ten years after they first met while she was walking her dog in 2014, according to the decision.

Referred to as Ms. L in the decision, she was invited to join him alone for a boat ride that same year. After misleading her into believing there would be more people there, Hayden insisted he take photos of her in her bikini.

She was uncomfortable with it, and it appears they didn't see each other again for two years.

Hayden sent her messages in 2016, asking her questions about selling his house. It turned out he wanted more photos of her.

"He asked her to model for a photograph where a woman is shown from the neck up, seemingly naked, in a clawfoot tub," the decision reads. "She declined."

In September of that year, he began to offer her work and at some point he had her interest as she asked about a salary and work hours.

Hayden would respond with "superfluous" photos and details of his wealth, like an $8,000 bottle of liquor, a new motorcycle and a real estate ad for his home listed at $3.2 million.

"In hindsight, these early interactions, predating the employment relationship, were harbingers of what was to come," the decision reads.

By 2018, hampered by an expensive divorce proceeding and an ex-husband who refused to pay spousal support, she took the personal assistant job in January.

He agreed to pay her $37.50 per hour at 40 hours per week. She was first paid in cash, then personal cheques. He would sometimes pay her through work accounts after his two BC-based companies, Clear Pacific Holdings and Whitehawk Investments, were formed.

Ms. L, who had a "varied" career working as an assistant at multiple successful companies, essentially worked as a maid for Hayden, according to the decision. She would make meals, clean the house and care for his dog Capone. Exactly what Hayden did for work isn't clear, but she was tasked with tracking her own hours and work expenses, while Hayden would offer inconsistent and irregular pay.

"This manipulation of her wages kept Ms. L dependent on Mr. Hayden because he almost always owed her money, and she was required to keep coming back to him to collect it," the decision reads.

Hayden would often drink and he would ask her to sit with him so he could tell her stories. He kept the house hot so she would wear less clothing, and sometimes he would splash water on her so she would have to change into his clothes. He made her play truth or dare at least once, making her do "sexualized and humiliating" dares.

He was "handsy" and "gross," she said.

After less than three months on the job, she was sexually assaulted.

Ms. L, who was addicted to cocaine, started using it at his house. He encouraged her to use his "safe supply," which she did.

On March 8, 2018, she joined him for drinks. He gave her medicine for a headache at some point, then she continued using his cocaine. She said it was "off."

She felt sick, but Hayden encouraged her to have another drink, which she did. She took more cocaine, too.

Her sickness getting worse, and worried it was laced with fentanyl, she asked that he call a taxi, but Hayden refused. She went to the bathroom and tried to throw up, where he gave her morphine pills.

She was close to losing consciousness, and Hayden took her on a bed then began to film her. He said she refused to go to the emergency room, which he had never offered, according to the decision. He then shut off the camera.

He touched her breasts and put her hands around his penis, forcing her to stroke it.

"Eventually she was able to scream and she dropped her hand," the decision reads. He eventually caved to her demands and drove her home.

She briefly stayed away, but did return to work with him, attempting to ensure they keep boundaries. It didn't work.

"The rest of the employment relationship was marked by pervasive sexual harassment," the decision reads.

He asked her to call him "sir." When complimenting her work, he would say "good girl." He would message her at all hours to come over to his house. He forced her to go skinny dipping on his birthday, threatening that she'd be fired if she refused.

She was drinking and using cocaine more than she ever had.

Ms. L tried to quit the cocaine and tried to assert healthier boundaries with her boss, but she couldn't do it entirely until an August 2019 trip to Mexico.

She joined him in San Diego, but she was late to set sail. Hayden was yelling at her and another person suggested her being late was exactly why women shouldn't be on boats, the decision reads.

Hayden ordered her to stay in the main cabin with his dog for the rest of the trip to Mexico, until they docked and she stayed in a hotel. He would sexually harass her while they were in Mexico. Once he sent her a photo of his groin, telling her "we have food for you."

She also met other people, including other men, which made Hayden jealous, according to the decision.

He assaulted her on Oct. 22, 2019, according to the decision.

They were with two other men on another boat, but he suddenly turned when she accepted a glass of wine from one of them. He grabbed her arm and started dragging her back to his own boat.

"I fucking own you," he said. "When I leave you leave. You are in service to me, not the other way around.”

They got onto his boat where he lunged at her, grabbing her neck and punching her. That's when he threw her down the stairs and failed to order his dog Capone to attack her.

Marina staff eventually came on board and helped her to leave, then took photos of her injuries. They put her up in a hotel for one night and guarded the room.

Meanwhile, Hayden left the country. She would be stuck in Mexico for another eight days, unable to access her own bank accounts for "various" reasons, according to the decision.

Her parents eventually helped her get home.

Hayden tried to apologize, and he told her he "lost it" because a doctor only gave him two years to live.

In November he tried to convince her to come back to work, including offering her a large lump sum if she kept the incident private.

With support from WorkSafeBC, Ms. L recovered some of of the unpaid $8,000 in wages, received mental and physical health support, and took courses to pursue a new career.

"She can never return to work as a personal executive assistant," the human rights decision reads.

Hayden, who took no part in the tribunal hearings, was ordered to pay $100,000 for injury to her dignity, feelings and self respect, according to the decision. He was ordered to pay another $61,500 for wage loss due to discrimination and another $8,700 for expenses.

At the end of the evidence, her lawyer asked what she's proud of. She said she'd never have her day in court to make her statement.

"This is for me like taking back my power and being able to tell my truth. My parents have seen a lot of changes in me over the four years but I am really hard on myself … they’re not fast for me and I don’t see those changes like they see them," part of her statement reads. "I still have a lot of work to do but I have a lot of people rooting for me. I know now. So many people just want to see me be me again… I want to have joy. I want to be me again, I do. I’m hopeful."

More than four years after the assault on his boat, Hayden appears to continue sailing with his dog Capone.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024