Guess co-founder Marciano steps down amid sex harassment claims

Armand (L) Paul (C) and Maurice Marciano, founders of the GUESS?clothing line pose as they arrive at their company's 20th anniversaryparty in Los Angeles May 9, 2002. The brothers, originally from France,started the company in Los Angeles twenty years ago and sold theirfirst order of 24 pairs of jeans to Bloomingdales. REUTERS/Fred ProuserREUTERSFSP - RTR4YFK

The Guess Inc. models are vindicated.

Paul Marciano, the co-founder and executive chairman of the 37-year-old apparel brand, is stepping down, the company said Tuesday — four months after model Kate Upton and others accused him of sexual harassment.

A four-month probe by an independent board committee found that Marciano “exercised poor judgment in his communications with models and photographers and in placing himself in situations in which plausible allegations of improper conduct could, and did, arise.”

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The allegations included “inappropriate comments and texts and unwanted advances including kissing and groping,” the company said.

Marciano will remain on the board until Jan. 30. His brother, Maurice, was appointed chairman.

In late January, Supermodel Kate Upton, who formerly worked with Guess, said Paul Marciano verbally harassed and touched her inappropriately starting when she was 18. (Reuters)

On Jan. 31, Upton, a former Guess model, said that Paul Marciano verbally harassed and touched her inappropriately starting when she was 18. He denied the allegations but, two weeks after they were leveled, Marciano stepped down from his day-to-day duties.

To avoid litigation, Guess and Marciano settled claims with five people who claimed they were subject to his inappropriate behavior — paying each $500,000.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post.