Bob Barker has been sued by former employee, Deborah Curling over allegations that the TV quiz host created an "atmosphere of terror" on CBS Corporation’s (NYSE:CBS) show “The Price Is Right.” The lawsuit was made public three days after Madison Square Garden lost a case of sexual harassment brought against New York Knicks basketball Coach and team President Isiah Thomas by Anucha Browne Sanders. Madison Square Garden now faces a second suit from Courtney Prince, the former captain of the Rangers City Skaters.

It is no coincidence that suits of this nature run in packs. That is precisely because

• perpetrators of harassment, discrimination, and aggressive behavior typically continue to offend
• a case won by a victim, provides incentive to others that had a similar experience

In most cases, harassment and a hostile workplace is not an isolated case but endemic in an organization.

Both Curling and Browne Sanders mentioned the atmosphere in their claims.

• Debbie Curling  - "atmosphere of terror"
• Anucha Browne Sanders – “a frat-house environment” and a “hostile workplace”

Barker is not stranger to such allegations. According to E!Online,

“The complaint cites multiple examples of litigation that swirled around the show in the past 15 years, including the 1994 sexual harassment lawsuit filed by model Dian Parkinson against Barker and the Emmy winner's 1995 defamation suit against another of ‘Barker's Beauties,’ Holly Hallstrom, who claimed that Barker fired her because of her weight.

Five women were subpoenaed to testify in the Hallstrom case and, after all of their statements only served to bolster Hallstrom's position, Barker was forced to drop the suit in September 2000, according to Curling's lawsuit. About a month later, all five women were fired.”

The pattern of behavior by CBS/The Price is Right and Madison Square Garden is similar.

1. Both companies condoned or tolerated the behavior of executives that created a hostile work environment
2. The companies retaliated against complaints by firing the victims.

ABC reported that Browne Sanders, a 44-year old former marketing executive at International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) stated,

“it is the responsibility of workplace leaders to set the standard for a comfortable working environment. I think it really is a wake-up call to those in a professional working environment, to those that are not civil, to let women know they have recourse."

She noted further,

“being silent never makes change, so speak up," encouraging women in similar situations to speak up.

I guess some, Debbie Curling at least, heard her.

Browne Sanders photo - Louis Lanzano/AP Photo