Defamation lawsuit says Drunk Uncle bar owner retaliated against woman who left 1-star review
Brynn Dutelle, of Onalaska, filed a defamation lawsuit on March 14, alleging that The Drunk Uncle owner Neal Steffek made defamatory comments online and to her employer after she left a one-star review of the bar.
Dutelle's attorney, Dixon Gahnz, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the situation escalated when Steffek posted on her employer's Facebook page, accusing her of sexually assaulting a bar employee.
"Things went from an unhappy customer and an unhappy review receiver, so to speak, to something more," Gahnz said. "It escalated into something unacceptable and could have long-term consequences."
The Journal Sentinel reached out to Steffek for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Steffek has 45 days to respond to the lawsuit, documents show.
According to the lawsuit:
On Saturday, March 8, Brynn Dutelle and her friends visited The Drunk Uncle, 1902 S. 68th St. During their time at the bar, Dutelle said she felt uncomfortable with the actions of the owner and staff.
The next day, she posted a Google review detailing her experience. Dutelle wrote that Steffek repeatedly kissed her friend and offered her a job. She also claimed that a bartender reached over the bar, touched her face, and told her to make him a sandwich for International Women's Day.
A user, listed by Google as the Drunk Uncle business owner, responded to the review shortly after it was posted, writing in part: "You are a fat nerd with no friends. That girl was hot AF for this giant snake."
The response has since been deleted.
After responding to Dutelle's review, Steffek posted on the Facebook page of Dutelle's employer, a Wisconsin school district, accusing Dutelle of sexually assaulting an employee at The Drunk Uncle on or around March 8.
The post included a photo of Dutelle and identified her as an employee of the district. After it surfaced, Dutelle's employer required her to explain the situation, according to her lawsuit.
Dutelle's lawsuit accuses Steffek of making false online comments in retaliation for her Google review. The accusations of sexual assault were intended to cause harm to Dutelle's reputation to discourage the community or others from associating with her, the lawsuit says.
Gahnz, Dutelle's attorney, added that Steffek's post could jeopardize Dutelle's career in education.
"The post was removed from the school's Facebook page, but it still appears easily in searches," Gahnz said. "When you start doing any kind of searching, it'll show up in background checks for Ms. Dutelle for years."
Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Defamation lawsuit says Drunk Uncle bar owner retaliated against woman who left 1-star review
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