MONTGOMERY, Ill.—This one really takes the dildo. In fact, you may think it's a joke or satire, but it isn't; it actually happened. According to dailyherald.com, "A woman and her 17-year-old daughter have sued the Massacre Haunted House in Montgomery, arguing they were assaulted and verbally harassed by two workers dressed as clowns holding sex toys. The lawsuit, filed by Montgomery resident Regina Janito, seeks unspecified damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and negligence on behalf of the haunted house operators."
An arrest was made by police. The attorney for the aggrieved party summoned his best rhetoric to describe the horror his clients experienced. "The conduct of the haunted house and its employees crossed all lines of decency and common sense," said Michael Huseman. "Their conduct was outrageous and extreme. My client and her daughter were traumatized by the event. We hope this whole thing is resolved quickly."
So what actually happened to inspire such intense comments? "According to the lawsuit, Janito, her daughter and three other minors drove to the haunted house on Oct. 11," reported Harry Hitzeman for the Daily Herald. "They were met in the parking lot by two men dressed as clowns and holding sex toys who began to harass the group, according to the suit.
"One employee, Robert Keller, used a sex toy to poke the 17-year-old," continued Hitzeman. "The other employee, identified in the suit as John Doe, simulated a sex act with the toy while Keller made repeated lewd and offensive remarks to Janito and the girl. All four left the grounds without buying tickets, the suit states."
He also quotes the suit as claiming, "The acts committed by Keller and John Doe were beyond the standards of civilized decency and beyond the scope of what society is willing to tolerate."
The article adds that Keller was "eventually" arrested and charged with battery and disorderly conduct.
The general manager of the haunted house is hardly contrite about the incident. Rather than apologize or explain it away as employees gone rogue, he responded with a prepared statement issued via a PR firm. "We make every effort to ensure our Halloween experience is as safe and as scary as possible," he says. "We abide by all regulations, take all allegations of misconduct seriously, and are cooperating with police. All the while, we are committed to continuing our Halloween tradition of fear and fright for many years to come."
The statement also indicates that "more than 100,000 patrons have visited over a decade and the 20,000-square-foot haunted house is recognized as best in the suburbs," reported Hitzeman.
The paper has a request for comment in to the Montgomery police, but had not heard back by post-time about what might just be the bogus arrest of the sex toy wielding clown.
The plaintiff gets her day in court January 8.
In case you were wondering, this is not the first time police had to be called to investigate a possible assault by sex toy.
