Comcast store punished low sales by smashing pies in workers’ faces, lawsuit claims
A lawsuit filed against Comcast alleges that a store manager in Plainville, Connecticut, punished the month's lowest-performing sales staff by having them tied to a chair and having a cream pie smashed in their face, with videos taken of the assaults. The complaint, brought by former retail sales consultant David Figueroa, claims the manager, Sully Fuentes Peterson, devised the ritual to boost sales figures and customer survey scores, and that Comcast was negligent for failing to supervise store management and prevent the practice.
Figueroa says he was hired on 2 February 2026 and resigned on 27 February, alleging constructive discharge due to the "pervasive, repeated" threat and use of violence against underperforming colleagues. The lawsuit, filed on 9 July in a Connecticut superior court, includes an alleged office chart ranking staff and marking who had been or was due to be "pied". Comcast said it disagrees with the claims and has "zero tolerance" for workplace harassment, but declined to comment further while the case is in litigation.
In short
- Comcast lawsuit alleges pies smashed in faces of lowest-selling staff
- Ex-employee says manager ordered assaults, filmed and ranked workers
- Comcast disputes claims, calls itself intolerant of workplace harassment
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If the allegations are substantiated, the claimant’s case is that tying workers to a chair and striking them with pies is degrading and coercive, and that repeated threats of this treatment could make the workplace intolerable even for someone who was not directly targeted. The chart and alleged videos could support the claim that this was an organised practice, while the short tenure and prompt resignation may be consistent with constructive discharge.
The case against
Comcast’s strongest case is that the claims remain allegations in a lawsuit and should be tested against evidence before responsibility is assigned. The company says it rejects them and has zero tolerance for workplace harassment; the reported account does not establish what senior management knew, whether the conduct occurred as described, or whether the company failed to respond to it.
Explained simply
A lawsuit alleges that a Comcast store manager in Connecticut punished poorly performing sales staff by tying them to a chair and smashing cream pies in their faces, with videos recorded of the incidents. The alleged practice was reportedly designed to improve sales figures and customer satisfaction scores.
David Figueroa filed the lawsuit after working at the Plainville store for less than a month, claiming manager Sully Fuentes Peterson used threats and pie-smashing incidents to punish staff. Figueroa alleges he resigned because of the repeated threats and violent incidents he and his colleagues experienced.
The case raises questions about workplace safety and management practices in retail, and the extent to which companies are responsible for supervising their store managers. Comcast has denied the allegations and said it maintains a "zero tolerance" policy for workplace harassment.