Panera Defeats Ex-Manager’s Sex Harassment, Retaliation Claims

A Panera Bread worker’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims against the company are “extremely weak” and aren’t supported by the evidence, a federal judge ruled.

Lilliana Ferns hasn’t shown that any physical touching by a male colleague was based on her being a woman, said Magistrate Judge William Matthewman of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The judge granted summary judgment to all counts to Flapan LLC, doing business as Panera Bread, and canceled the trial that had been set for Sept. 14.

Ferns hasn’t “properly disputed most of the undisputed facts” put forth by Panera, ...