Former employee files harassment lawsuit against Houston Texans

A former employee of the Houston Texans filed a lawsuit against the team on Friday, claiming its former director of football operations sexually harassed her.

Kristen Grimes, a former suite sales account executive with the Texans, is suing the team and Jason Lowrey for negligence, civil assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation, KHOU.com reported. She is seeking $1 million in damages.

The lawsuit alleges that Lowrey pursued a relationship with Grimes in 2013, the first year she began working for the team. Grimes charged that Lowrey "publicly demeaned" and groped her during a work trip.

The Texans released a statement Friday night in response to the lawsuit.

"We are aware that a lawsuit was filed earlier today against the Houston Texans alleging, among other things, that the Club failed to properly investigate and respond to a sexual harassment complaint filed by a former employee in November 2016," the statement read. "The Houston Texans take complaints of this nature seriously. Consistent with Club policy, this matter was promptly investigated and addressed at the time the complaint was made. We will vigorously defend ourselves against this litigation."

Grimes further alleges in the suit that the club and Lowrey, who is no longer with the team, "fostere(ed) an Alpha-Male environment, where continuous improprieties toward female employees were not punished. In fact, they were rewarded."

Citing a pattern of harassment in the suit, Grimes claimed that once she tried to break off the relationship in 2015, Lowery stalked her at work and emailed other employees to tell them Grimes had inappropriate relations with team players.

Grimes worked for the team from 2013-17, according to the report. Lowrey, who was with the Texans since 2010 and was promoted to director of football operations in 2014, was let go by the team last month.