Attorneys for Erica Herman , the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods , claimed in new court documents filed on Friday that the famed golfer sexually harassed Herman by entering into a sexual relationship with her while she was an employee and then tricking her into leaving his house once their sexual relationship ended. Attorneys for Herman are asking a
Florida judge to stop discovery and all proceedings in her lawsuit against Woods after Woods tried to move the case out of court, saying he "hasn't even come close" to proving that Herman agreed to arbitration. Herman first sued the trust that owns Woods' home in October, shortly after the couple broke up. Herman has said in court documents that Woods kicked her out of the home without notice, in violation of an oral agreement that she had to live there rent-free. Attorneys for Woods argue she was there as a guest and that he does not owe her anything. The lawsuit says Woods used "trickery" to evict Herman, who was also a manager at one of Woods' restaurants in Florida. She claimed Woods told her to pack her bags for a short vacation, but when she left the home, she was notified that she had been locked out, the lawsuit says. Woods' attorneys have argued in court filings that Herman filed the lawsuit to get around her NDA with Woods , which would have forced her to arbitrate any issues with him out of court. In March, Herman petitioned to get the NDA thrown out based on the "Speak Out Act," which nullifies agreements in cases where
Sexual Assault or harassment is alleged. However, she made no specific reference at the time to what kind of sexual assault or harassment claims she planned to make in the filing. On Friday, Herman filed a motion asking the judge to deny Woods' request to move the lawsuit to arbitration and grant a protective order that would stop discovery and grant a stay of all proceedings in the case, according to court documents. In the document, Herman's attorneys said in her original complaint, Herman "had to be cursory" with the description of her
Sexual Harassment "because of the threat of enforcement of an NDA against her." Herman's lawyers argue that Woods imposed an NDA on Herman when she entered a sexual relationship with him as a still-working member of his restaurant staff, thus changing her working conditions based on a sexual relationship, which constitutes sexual harassment. The document also says Herman's "ejection" from Woods' home was sexual harassment because Herman's "tenancy agreement" was ended when her sexual relationship with Woods ended. The filing says that Woods' request to move the case to arbitration is based on a "highly redacted document" that Woods claims to be a contract between the couple. "But he has not even been able to vouch for that document," the filing says. "He asks the court to assume there is a binding arbitration agreement, not based on any admissible evidence or even a declaration from himself." Herman's attorneys said that Woods still needs to prove that Herman agreed to arbitrate disputes with him if he wants to move the case to arbitration. "He has not done that," the filing says. "He has not even come close. And he cannot. The Court should deny the motion." Attorneys for Woods, Herman, and Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust did not immediately return Insider's requests for comment on Saturday. Herman's lawsuit was filed in October but was first reported on in March, and seeks $30 million in damages.