Suspicious maid service comes to Job-A-Palooza, makes students ‘uncomfortable’

Several businesses set up tables in the Memorial Student Center Wednesday, encouraging students to fill out applications, ask questions and set up interviews during the “Job-A-Palooza” job fair.

There was one business in particular, though, that was bothersome to some of the students that attended Job-A-Palooza, called Dust Bunny Maid Service. The maid service had recruiters handing out business cards to students.

“As I was walking through the fair a man had handed me their business card. I thought the name was kind of strange, so when I researched their website all I saw were girls in bikinis,” said Isabella Kouns, sophomore public health and communications major. “It made me feel very uncomfortable.”

Josh Kennedy, sophomore business management major, and also a friend of Kouns’, said the whole thing was rather odd as well.

“Bella came up to me to tell me what happened and showed me the card,” he said. “I felt uncomfortable for her.”

Ginny Painter, university spokesperson for Marshall, said the company was signed up for the fair with a business name different from the one they were promoting when they got there.

“It was brought to our attention today that a participating company was promoting a seasonal employment opportunity, a cleaning service, in a manner that could potentially be considered sexual harassment, which is strictly prohibited under the university’s sexual harassment policy,” Painter said.

The university asked the company to leave, which they did. Painter said the company will not be invited to participate in job fairs or other future events on Marshall’s campus.

In effect of this happening, the university will now be reviewing its procedures for screening businesses that participate in these job fairs.

“Job-A-Palooza” aims to give students the opportunity to network with employers in a casual atmosphere.

Businesses such as Winterplace Ski Resort, Buckle, Aflac Insurance, Papa John’s and others were in attendance to recruit Marshall students.

“This is a part-time internship fair for students to come and look around,” Jennifer Brown of Career Services said. “Some places are even interviewing today and hiring on the spot.”

Jordan Nelson can be contacted at [email protected].