PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

A woman who claims she was fired from her job of merely three weeks at a company that provides cleaning services in retaliation for reporting incidents of alleged sexual harassment has filed a civil action against the firm in state court.

Bensalem, Pa. attorney Ari R. Karpf filed the lawsuit May 29 at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Amber Dickson, who resides in Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood.

The defendants named in the complaint are Roxborough-based Quigley Contracting Inc. and its principal, Michael Quigley, who also lives in Northwest Philadelphia.

In her lawsuit, Dickson claims that she was fired from her job three weeks after her hire date in January 2011 in retaliation for complaining about unwanted sexual advances she encountered while working for the company, which provides cleaning services for commercial and residential properties throughout the city.

The lawsuit alleges that while working a job with about six to eight other employees cleaning the Marriot Hotel in downtown Philadelphia, Dickson became the target of her male supervisor, who made “unwelcome sexual gestures and statements” to Dickson.

The inappropriate comments including numerous references toward the supervisor’s genitalia, the suit claims.

The complaint states that Dickson was terminated by the defendants after she complained to Michael Quigley about the treatment she was receiving.

“Defendant Michael aided and abetted the sexual harassment and retaliation by terminating Plaintiff due to her complaints of sexual harassment (and not resolving the actions of Plaintiff’s supervisor),” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit contains counts of hostile work environment and retaliation.

Dickson seeks to have the defendants create a work policy prohibiting sexual harassment on the job.

The plaintiff also seeks lost pay, actual damages, damages for pain and suffering, attorney’s fees, litigation costs and other court relief.

A jury trial is being demanded.

 

The case ID number is 120503499.