The ex-wife of former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is suing the sandwich company, claiming that executives were told at least three times that he had sexually exploited children, but chose to ignore the information.
A lawsuit filed Monday by Kathleen McLaughlin alleges that Subway knew of Fogle's sexual interest in children yet continued to send him to company events where he interacted with kids. Last year, Fogle pleaded guilty to possession or distribution of child pornography and traveling across state lines to have commercial sex with a minor, and was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison. McLaughlin says she was completely unaware of Fogle's actions, and if Subway had reported the allegations to police, she never would have married him in 2010. The pair have two small children, ages 3 and 5.
The suit claims that, among other incidents, in 2008, a franchise owner in Florida allegedly told former Subway CEO Jeff Moody that she had a deeply disturbing conversation with Fogle, in which he admitted he enjoyed having sex with minors. The suit says that Moody told her not to worry, because Fogle met someone, referring to McLaughlin, and "she is a teacher and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded." During a news conference Monday, McLaughlin told Fogle's victims she often prayed for them, and she "filed this lawsuit because I have questions," specifically what Subway knew about Fogle's "depravities" and for how long. She is also asking for an unspecified amount of damages, the Indianapolis Star reports.
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