By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK, May 20 (Reuters) - Lawyers for former J. WalterThompson chief executive Gustavo Martinez on Friday struck backagainst a high-ranking colleague who accused him of sexist andracist behavior, saying her high-profile lawsuit failed to showa hostile work environment at the advertising agency.
In papers filed with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan,lawyers for Martinez and J. Walter Thompson said chiefcommunications officer Erin Johnson based her case on sporadic,"isolated" comments, including references to rape and sex, thatshe took out of context or which had nothing to do with her.
They said Johnson failed to show her bonus and duties werecut in retaliation for complaints about gender bias andMartinez's alleged "unwanted touching," and faulted her forappearing to have bypassed the U.S. Equal Employment OpportunityCommission before suing.
"It is clear that plaintiff has twisted the facts anddistorted the context to contrive a gender-based hostile workenvironment and retaliation claims," wrote lawyers for J. WalterThompson, a unit of Britain's WPP Plc.
Jeremiah Iadevaia, a lawyer for Johnson, said his firm wasreviewing the defendants' papers.
"It appears that they are making technical legal argumentsin order to avoid a review on the merits in court," he said inan interview.
Johnson remains on paid leave, Iadevaia added.
Martinez, an Argentina native raised in Spain, resigned asJ. Walter Thompson's chief executive on March 17, one week afterJohnson sued. He was replaced by WPP chief client team officerTamara Ingram.
The lawsuit has increased attention on business practicesand attitudes within the advertising industry.
On April 28, WPP, run by Martin Sorrell, cited events at J.Walter Thompson in announcing steps to enhance itsanti-discrimination policies as to "gender, race, diversity andsensitivity, including unconscious bias, both for men andwomen."
Johnson's lawsuit has also drawn attention for a May 2015video shot at a Miami hotel, where Martinez made comments toemployees about there being "different and strange characters inthe elevator" and that he thought he was "going to be raped"there. A partially redacted video was posted online last month.
Martinez's lawyers said the video suggested that Johnsontook their client's comments out of context, while J. WalterThompson's lawyers said the only reason to put it online was "totry this case in the press and attempt to intentionally harmJWT."
The case is Johnson v. J. Walter Thompson USA LLC et al,U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.16-01805. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
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