Astoria Ample Hills Ex-Manager Alleges Harassment: Lawsuit

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A former manager of Ample Hills Creamery in Astoria accused the ice cream purveyor of discrimination and retaliation for firing him after he reported his boss for sexual harassment and questioned the company's COVID-19 protocols, according to a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court.

Bryce Mottram, who worked as the general manager of the Ample Hills location on 30th Avenue and 34th Street, claims in the lawsuit that his boss caressed his stomach during a conversation in October 2020 and inappropriately touched him and another employee in December 2020, court records show.

Both Mottram and the employee felt "uncomfortable," according to the lawsuit.

On Dec. 22, 2020, Mottram reported his boss and complained of "unsafe and illegal COVID-19 practices" at the scoop shop, after the company's CEO, Michael Zapata, twice insisted the Astoria location reopen days after employees tested positive for the virus.

Zapata had ultimately agreed to keep the store closed for the full, 14-day quarantine period in both instances.

Six days after reporting the harassment and COVID-19 protocols, Mottram was told he was not a good “cultural fit” and was fired, according to the lawsuit. He had been working for the company for slightly over a year.

In an emailed statement to Eater New York, which first reported on the lawsuit, a representative for Ample Hills wrote: “We respect and value all of our employees and remain steadfast in our commitment to the safety of our workplace. We are disappointed Mr. Mottram has chosen this route. Ample Hills adheres to the highest standards of professional conduct and looks forward to refuting Mr. Mottram’s claims in the appropriate forum.”

The representative did not specifically address the allegations in the lawsuit, according to Eater, and a lawyer for the company that owns Ample Hills did not return Eater's request for comment.

Mottram is now searching for a new job as he collects the last days of his unemployment benefits, he told Eater, adding, "Just as a professional, I had to bring up [the complaints] and do the right thing."