Salvador Sampino filed suit July 17 in Superior Court seeking unspecified damages for wrongful termination, retaliation, sexual harassment, defamation, unfair competition, negligence and unpaid wages, said his attorney, William Bloch.

Sampino was hired in May 1999 and was fired one year later, the lawsuit stated.

Another Sampino lawyer, Mark Strom, said his client was hired as a construction office manager for Inshallah Trust Project, a business entity controlled by Cher. Artemis Design and Consulting was the principal contractor, the lawsuit stated.

There was no listing for either Inshallah Trust Project or Artemis Design and Consulting in Los Angeles.

Messages left after business hours for Cher’s attorney, New York publicist, and manager were not immediately returned.

The lawsuit alleges that undocumented day laborers were paid cash and that they were not given worker’s compensation benefits and overtime pay. Sampino also alleges that Artemis co-managers made offensive and outrageous comments regarding his homosexuality.