A Comcast pie lawsuit filed in Connecticut claims a retail store manager used a grim little sales ritual: the top salesperson for a month allegedly tied the lowest-ranked worker to a chair and smashed a cream pie into that employee’s face.
Former Comcast retail sales consultant David Figueroa sued Comcast’s cable division in Connecticut Superior Court on July 9. His complaint says he started work at the Plainville, Connecticut, Comcast store on February 2, 2026, under store manager Sully Fuentes Peterson, then resigned on February 27.
Figueroa alleges Peterson created and ran the practice to push sales results and customer survey scores. The complaint says Comcast did not tell him before he accepted the job that sales staff could be subjected to these alleged acts at a manager’s direction.
Comcast told Ars Technica that it disagrees with the complaint. The company said it has “zero tolerance for harassment, humiliation, or any behavior that compromises a respectful and safe workplace,” and said it would respond through the litigation process. Comcast did not say whether Peterson still works for the company.
What does the Comcast pie lawsuit claim happened?
The complaint says Peterson kept a ranking chart in a back office showing sales consultants and identifying workers who had recently been hit with a pie or were scheduled for it. A photo included in the complaint appears to show first names, months and a pie-face emoji.
Figueroa says the alleged incidents were recorded. According to the complaint, Peterson videotaped the events and directed staff members to take part and record their own videos.
One alleged incident involved a co-worker identified as Ty, who the complaint says was tied up and hit in the face by another employee with stronger sales numbers. Figueroa says he watched and recorded that incident, along with other workers, while Peterson was present and recording.
The complaint also says an assistant sales manager named Jania was hit with a pie after receiving a poor customer survey score. Figueroa says he later saw video of that incident on a co-worker’s phone.
Why did Figueroa resign?
Figueroa claims the store environment amounted to constructive discharge. In plain English, that means an employee says the workplace became so intolerable that quitting should be treated legally like being forced out.
On February 27, according to the complaint, Figueroa called Comcast regional manager Maranda Cody and said he did not feel comfortable continuing at the store because of the alleged pie incidents. The complaint says Cody told him to send a text message documenting his concerns and reasons for resigning. Figueroa says he did not receive a response to that message or to his complaints before resigning.
The lawsuit accuses Comcast of negligence, arguing the company should have known about the store’s management practices and the risk of harm to employees. It also says Comcast failed to properly supervise the store’s management team.
Figueroa is seeking compensatory damages for past and future economic losses and emotional distress. Comcast is expected to contest the negligence claim and at least some of the factual allegations, based on its statement disputing the complaint.
The allegations land while Comcast’s cable business has been trying to slow customer losses. The company has offered a five-year price guarantee and plans without data caps, moves that followed Comcast President Mike Cavanagh’s April 2025 statement that the company was “not winning in the marketplace.” The lawsuit does not prove those broader business pressures caused anything at the Plainville store. It alleges a manager turned sales pressure into workplace humiliation, and Comcast says it disputes that account.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.
