Rape, Racism, and Retaliation: Federal Suit Targets PAX Services Group, New State Capital Partners, Executive Chairman Mike Gowl, and CEO Michael Wade

NEW YORK – December 1, 2025 – A former executive assistant and mergers-and-acquisitions associate has filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Michael A. Gowl Jr., Executive Chairman of PAX Services Group, CEO Michael J. Wade, and their private equity owner, New State Capital Partners LLC, alleging a pattern of sexual assault, racial harassment, and corporate concealment within the multimillion-dollar roofing and contracting conglomerate.

Filed by Joseph & Norinsberg on behalf of plaintiff “Jane Doe” (Case: 1:25-cv09799), the complaint accuses Gowl of drugging and raping the plaintiff multiple times, including during a PAX business trip to the Bahamas, and at so-called “business meetings” that turned into sexual assaults at the Le Meridien Hotel in New York City and his home in Pinecrest, Fla. The complaint also alleges that Gowl boasted that he “only hires women under 30 with big breasts,” shamelessly used the N-word, so much so that he bragged “his son loves a good n***er joke” and explaining that he excluded a Black manager at PAX from meetings because “he is a n***er and he smells…,” told Doe to “show more cleavage,” and mocked her African heritage.

The lawsuit further alleges that Gowl bragged about using illicit drugs and later admitted he had “taken his chance” after drugging Doe before one of the assaults, revealing that his conduct was calculated and deliberate.

The complaint also states that Gowl directed or condoned sexually explicit group messages and communications with colleagues and business associates, one depicting a large naked Black man sitting on a bed with his penis hanging off the edge—an image that perfectly captured the misogynistic and racist environment Gowl and his colleagues normalized in the workplace.

The lawsuit contends that Gowl used his corporate power and private equity backing to exploit and silence Doe by funneling her payroll through a smaller company, Coastal Pools LLC, where he was the principal owner, to shield PAX and New State from liability, and then retaliated when she resisted his advances. When Doe tried to distance herself, Gowl allegedly mocked her immigration status, terminated her employment, tried to force her to sign a release in exchange for money, deployed a retired FBI agent to intimidate her and potential witnesses, and threatened her life by saying: “If you try to tell my ex-wife, I will burn the house down…I will come after you and end your life.”

The complaint also names PAX CEO Michael J. Wade, who allegedly sexually assaulted the plaintiff during a “Salesforce training” arranged by Gowl in a hotel room. Together, the executives are accused of cultivating what the lawsuit calls a “lawless, pre-Civil Rights Act ‘Mad Men’ culture” where racism, sexism, and abuse of power were normalized. The filing further alleges that PAX, New State, and their affiliated entities operated as joint employers who knowingly enabled or ignored Gowl’s conduct. Pax Services Group, a major Mid-Atlantic roofing contractor with offices in Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Florida, has performed high-profile development projects, including work on the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, and the Charles County Detention Center in La Plata, MD.

“Jane Doe survived unimaginable abuse by men who believed they were untouchable,” said Bennitta Joseph of Joseph & Norinsberg. “This lawsuit exists because our legal system gives survivors the tools to challenge that illusion. It flips the power dynamic on its head and enables her to demand the justice her abusers — with all their wealth and arrogance — never thought she would have the courage to pursue.”

The plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages for sexual assault, racial and gender discrimination, retaliation, and emotional distress under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law.

About Joseph & Norinsberg Employment Lawyers

Joseph & Norinsberg Employment Lawyers is built on a core philosophy that success comes only from meticulous preparation and hard work. We are NYC employment attorneys who believe very strongly that cases are not won by “showmanship” inside of court, but rather, by relentless and time-consuming preparation outside of court. The firm is committed to fighting passionately and aggressively for each and every client who walks through our doors, no matter who the client is or what the size of their case may be. The firm readily accepts highly complex and challenging cases, knowing full well that such cases will require years of exhaustive litigation before reaching a successful conclusion. Regardless of how difficult a case may be, our New York City Employment Lawyers will never, ever quit on a case or on a client. Rather, Joseph & Norinsberg will fight relentlessly on each and every case, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the client achieves a just and fair result in Court.