Asad Malik, CEO of Amerilodge Group, is facing a lawsuit from former employee Stephanie Starling, who alleges he sexually harassed, assaulted, and battered her during a February outing. According to court filings, Starling claims Malik “groped and kissed” her at a Justin Timberlake concert and later attempted to coerce her into further physical contact.
The lawsuit details how Malik allegedly told Starling during the concert that he wanted a kiss, remarking, “I bet it would be a good kiss too. Probably later tonight.” When she nervously laughed it off, he reportedly continued pursuing her, saying he was “just looking at her lips” and thinking about kissing her.
Starling said she tried to keep close to her supervisor during the event, but Malik eventually made his way into the same booth and “slid his hand under her right thigh and touched her butt,” according to the complaint.
Following the incident, she retreated to a restroom and phoned her father in tears, asking him not to involve police. Her general manager overheard the call and pledged to report Malik’s behavior, the lawsuit states.
Later that night, Malik allegedly insisted on driving Starling to a dark area under the pretense of talking, where he demanded a kiss. When she refused, he became agitated, prompting her to insist on returning to the hotel.
Back at work, Starling says she reported the incident to HR. However, she claims the company failed to meaningfully follow up, despite bringing in an outside investigator. Within weeks, she said her company email was disabled and she was pressured to resign. HR later upheld her “resignation” after calling the investigation unsubstantiated. Starling also alleged she was offered a settlement she described as “hush money,” which she refused.
Her attorney, Jack Shulz, compared the case to the recent Astronomer CEO Andrew Byron controversy, accusing Amerilodge’s HR of protecting leadership at the expense of employees.
“Both Starling and others reported immediately, yet HR protected the company, leading to her termination for speaking up,” Shulz told the Daily Mail.
Amerilodge spokesperson Chris Daly declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation. Malik has denied the allegations, and no witnesses have corroborated the claims.
