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Former employee sues S.F. Chinese Chamber of Commerce over alleged sexual assault

Former employee sues S.F. Chinese Chamber of Commerce over alleged sexual assault

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Judy Lee's suit alleges 12 years of harassment, a 2024 assault, and retaliatory firing

Today: Lawsuit reported by SFist

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Judy Lee was a Miss Chinatown USA pageant finalist in 2014. Now she is suing the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce and nine of its leaders, saying the harassment began right after that pageant and never stopped.

Lee was fired in July. Her suit alleges retaliatory termination, gender discrimination, and that chamber leadership protected men she says harassed her for 12 years, including an assault during a 2024 trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The chamber runs the Chinese New Year Parade, the largest in the United States, and has shaped Chinatown politics for over a century. Lee wants at least $1 million and says she is speaking out so other women do not face the same culture.

Why it matters

If the suit prevails, it could end the careers of some of Chinatown's most powerful figures and force the chamber to overhaul how it handles misconduct.

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Key Indicators

$1M+
Damages sought by Lee
Lee seeks at least $1 million for harm to reputation, and physical and mental health.
12
Years of alleged harassment
Lee says misconduct began in 2014 after the Miss Chinatown USA pageant.
9
Leaders named as defendants
The lawsuit names nine chamber leaders; former president Donald Luu is not among them.
13
Board members who threatened to resign
Their June ultimatum over handling of Lee's allegations preceded Luu's July exit.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

June 2014 September 2026

13 events Latest: Today Showing 8 of 13
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  1. Lawsuit reported by SFist

    Today Media

    SFist publishes details of the complaint, including the alleged 2024 Cabo assault and retaliation claims.

  2. Board dispute becomes public

    Escalation

    Over a dozen board members back Lee and threaten to resign unless leadership ousts president Donald Luu.

  3. Alparce emails board detailing allegations

    Escalation

    Lee's attorney informs chamber board of 'despicable and egregious acts' of harassment and assault, naming Donald Luu.

  4. Lee hired as chamber program director

    Institutional

    She is hired after years as a volunteer; suit alleges the same man who assaulted her claimed credit for the job.

  5. Cabo San Lucas trip

    Allegation

    Lee alleges a chamber official broke into her locked hotel room, sexually assaulted her, and muffled her screams.

  6. Dinner honoring Mayor Willie Brown

    Allegation

    Suit alleges a chamber leader grazed Lee's breasts while serving her food at the event.

  7. Lee leaves tech job, returns as volunteer

    Origin

    She begins spending more time at the chamber hoping to find new work, where alleged exploitation continues.

  8. Lee elected to chamber board

    Institutional

    She becomes one of the youngest board members in chamber history; more alleged harassment follows.

  9. Lee becomes Miss Chinatown USA finalist

    Origin

    Alleged harassment begins shortly after; a leader 'professes his love interest' and demands she accompany him to events.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

September 2016 - June 2021

USA Gymnastics and Larry Nassar (2016-2021)

Indianapolis Star reporting revealed that Larry Nassar, a USA Gymnastics team doctor, had sexually abused hundreds of women and girls over two decades. In 2018, 156 survivors gave victim impact statements at his sentencing. He was sentenced to 40 to 175 years and later decades more in federal prison.

Then

USA Gymnastics' entire board resigned under pressure from survivors and the U.S. Olympic Committee. The organization's CEO was fired, and the organization was stripped of its certification by USOPC.

Now

The case prompted federal reform of how athletic organizations handle abuse reports, including the expansion of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and is widely credited with changing how institutions respond to abuse accusations.

Why this matters now

USA Gymnastics retained Nassar for years despite repeated complaints, protecting its public image over its athletes. Lee's allegations describe a similar institutional dynamic, where leadership dismissed complaints and protected senior men whose behavior was allegedly well-known.

October 2017 - March 2020

Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Company (2017-2020)

The New York Times and the New Yorker published accounts from dozens of women accusing producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct spanning decades. Over 80 women eventually came forward. The Weinstein Company's board fired him, and in 2020 a jury convicted him of rape and a criminal sexual act.

Then

Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after its board clashed with investors over a settlement fund.

Now

The reporting ignited the global #MeToo movement and demonstrated that institutions which protected abusers for decades could be forced to confront them when survivors spoke publicly.

Why this matters now

The chamber, like the Weinstein Company, is an institution whose cultural and political power shielded its leaders from consequences. Lee's public suit is the kind of survivor testimony that proved decisive in Weinstein's case.

Sources

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