FRESNO, Calif. — Lawyers for a woman who was spanked in front of her co-workers as part of what her employer said was a camaraderie-building exercise asked a jury yesterday for at least $1.2 million for the humiliation she claimed to have suffered.

Janet Orlando, 53, quit her job at the security company Alarm One Inc. and sued, alleging discrimination, assault and emotional distress.

Employees were paddled with rival companies' yard signs as part of a contest that pitted sales teams against each other, according to court documents. The winners threw pies at the losers, fed them baby food, made them wear diapers and swatted their buttocks.

Alarm One said the spankings were part of a voluntary program to build camaraderie and were not discriminatory because men and women got them.