A woman in her 20s has filed a damages suit against the great-nephew of the Toyota Group founder and his employer, saying the man sexually harassed her as she was interviewing for a job, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
In a lawsuit filed with the Nagoya District Court, the woman from Aichi Prefecture is seeking about ¥6 million ($53,800) in compensation for emotional distress and other losses from the man, 43, and Aisin AW Co., which controls the world's top market share in automatic transmissions.
The man, who is the grandson of a brother of Sakichi Toyoda (1867-1930), the Toyota group founder, was the deputy head of the company's manufacturing department when she applied for a graduate position last summer.
After completing a written test in August, the man told her he had allowed her to pass despite her subpar scores, and repeatedly asked her out to dinner, a request she refused, according to the sources.
The man was reprimanded by the company after the case came to light, and he later left the Anjo, Aichi Prefecture-based firm.
An Aisin AW official declined to comment, saying the company had yet to receive court documents.
Established in 1969, Aisin AW is a subsidiary of Aisin Seiki Co., a major auto parts maker for the Toyota group.
In fiscal 2015 through March 2016, Aisin AW chalked up consolidated sales of ¥1.13 trillion.