Los Angeles Business Journal: Aftermath of 'debauchery' - Wall Street West

Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. was sued for wrongful termination by its former chief executive, who said the casino company blamed him for a 2001 "weekend of debauchery" that led to regulatory sanctions and harassment suits.

Paul Alanis, whose resignation Pinnacle announced in April, claims that the June 2001 event at the Belterra Casino in Indiana was organized by the former chairman of Pinnacle's board, R.D. Hubbard. Pinnacle said in a statement that it has "substantial defenses" to his allegations.

Pinnacle said in August that it would pay a $2.26 million fine to the Indiana Gaming Commission and close the Belterra Casino for three days in connection with harassment lawsuits filed against the company by two former employees.

In a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Alanis claims he "was unjustifiably made to appear responsible" by Pinnacle for a weekend golf tournament that included "prostitutes."

Alanis's defamation, negligent misrepresentation and wrongful termination suit seeks compensation for the "several million dollars in severance" he claims Pinnacle has promised and not delivered as well as unspecified monetary damages. Glendale-based Pinnacle said that at the time of Alanis's "resignation," he was an "at-will employee whose previous employment agreement had expired in accordance with its terms."