December 6, 2005 | Funny Bits

Nipple-loving gorilla case settled

Apparently, Koko has a thing for nipples. So insist two California women, who settled a lawsuit last month in which they claimed they were fired for refusing to show their breasts to a 34-year-old gorilla.

Fired in August 2004, former Gorilla Foundation employees Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller filed a lawsuit in February against their former employer and its president, Francine Patterson, alleging sexual discrimination, wrongful termination in retaliation for reporting health and safety violations, and failure to pay overtime or provide breaks.

The women argue that Patterson pressured them to expose their breasts to Koko, who rose to stardom in 1998 after learning more than 1,000 words in American Sign Language and who, they suggest. has a rather insistent nipple fetish.

The Gorilla Foundation strongly denies the allegations, for which the women were seeking more than $1 million. They reached a settlement Nov. 21. Lawyers would not disclose details, except to tell news agency AFP that, "The whole flash-your-nipples thing was dismissed by the court."

Somebody get Koko a DVD player and the latest installment of "Girls Gone Wild"!

• Civil suit accusing Koko the gorilla of a nipple fetish is settled [Yahoo! News]
• Lips sealed in settlement of Koko case [San Francisco Chronicle]