A woman who spent years building her career at Columbus real estate developer Thrive Companies says she was sexually harassed, assaulted, and ultimately fired for speaking up. Her lawsuit, filed in Franklin County in April 2026, describes a workplace where misconduct was ignored, victims were silenced, and retaliation was the answer to reports of abuse.

According to the complaint, then-CEO Kevin Zeppernick harassed and assaulted the plaintiff over several years — including once while she was unconscious. She reported what happened. Instead of being protected, she was sidelined, threatened, and eventually let go. Thrive has said it terminated Zeppernick for policy violations, but it also publicly praised his "energy, leadership, and vision" in the same announcement.

That's not accountability. That's damage control.

Thrive is one of Central Ohio's most prominent developers, shaping the neighborhoods where people live, work, and raise families. The company's leaders owe it to their employees — and to this community — to do more than hire lawyers and fight claims in court. They need to open their doors to a genuine, independent review of how harassment is reported, investigated, and addressed inside their organization.

We are calling on Thrive Companies and its leadership to submit to independent, third-party oversight of their workplace practices — including harassment reporting, investigation procedures, and retaliation protections. Not a self-directed internal review. Not a press statement. A real, external audit with real accountability attached to it.

One woman already paid the price for trusting that the system would work. It's time to make sure no one else has to.