A church-going aspiring actress came to Manhattan hoping to make it big on Broadway — but a lecherous boss at Ellen’s Stardust Diner nearly crushed her dreams, a new complaint alleges.
Carolyn Walter, 29, of Montgomery County, Maryland, moved to the Empire State in March 2012 and applied for a job at the retro Midtown joint famous for its singing waitstaff.
“For pretty much every single actor in New York City, working at Ellen’s Stardust Diner is a dream come true because the auditions are so competitive,” she told The Post.
Stardusters, as the waiters are known, have scored spots in hit musicals such as “Mama Mia” and “In the Heights” and become contestants on “American Idol.”
But a month into the gig, the diner’s general manager, Bob Salem, started sexually harassing Walter, according to a complaint she filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Ellen’s earlier this year.
Walter claims that Salem rubbed his hand along her backside on one occasion and nicknamed her “sexy.”
But she says Salem took things too far when he started ridiculing her religion after asking her to work a weekend shift.
“I said, ‘I can’t I go to church on Sundays, I’m involved in the young-adults group,” recalled Walter, a devout Christian.
“Then he said, “Because you go to church on Sundays, does that mean you are a virgin?’”
Walter says she told Salem the question was inappropriate, but he persisted, asking, “Is the reason that you go to church every Sunday because you f–k the priest?”
Walter showed The Post a text message from Salem luring her with the promise of $3,000 in jewelry if he could “see the goods.”
Walter said she reported his behavior to a supervisor.
The diner’s owner, Kevin Sturm, told The Post that he did not believe Walter’s sexual-harassment claims.
But Salem was terminated in March after other staff complained about his brusque behavior, Sturm said.
Salem told The Post he never treated Walter inappropriately but said that customers often complained about her sloppy service.
He added that his text message to her was taken out of context.
“I’m 100 percent innocent,” he said.
Meanwhile, since Walter filed the federal complaint, she says, her hours have been docked in retaliation.
She said she also suffered panic attacks and weight gain because of Salem’s harassment.
“It was awful,” she said.
Her lawyer, Joshua Friedman, applauded her courage, noting evidence that Salem targeted other female servers.
“My admiration for women like Ms. Walter, who find the strength to make themselves heard, is enormous,” he said.