{
  "id": 18848,
  "title": "Comcast store punished low sales by smashing pies in workers' faces, lawsuit claims",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/29/comcast-store-punished-low-sales-by-smashing-pies-in-workers-faces",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-07-29T19:33:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Policy",
    "slug": "ars-technica-policy",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/07/comcast-store-punished-low-sales-by-smashing-pies-in-workers-faces-lawsuit-claims/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A lawsuit has been filed against Comcast's cable division, alleging an unsettling practice at a Plainville, Connecticut store. The complaint claims that each month, the store's manager would publicly humiliate the salesperson with the lowest performance. According to the lawsuit, this humiliating ritual involved smearing a cream pie onto the employee's face. The manager, Sully Fuentes Peterson, allegedly ordered employees to take part in the act and document it on video. The plaintiff, David Figueroa, claims to have been among the employees subjected to this practice. Figueroa alleges that his supervisor, Peterson, instigated and carried out the pie-in-the-face ritual, which he claims was intended to boost sales and improve customer satisfaction. The exact date of the alleged harassment is unclear in the source material.",
  "summary": "Comcast, accused of negligence, says lawsuit mischaracterized alleged events.",
  "key_points": [
    "Manager ordered employees to participate in pie-in-the-face ritual and film it.",
    "David Figueroa, plaintiff, claims to have been victim of the humiliating practice."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}