PITTSBURGH — An Allegheny County woman is suing her former employer, a national railroad provider operating in Pennsylvania, charging gender and retaliatory discrimination along with sexual harassment in the workplace up to and including 2014.
Connie Marion sued National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Oct. 12, alleging violation of the Civil Rights Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act during her employment between Jan. 17, 2012 and Nov. 19, 2014.
According to the complaint, while working as an Amtrak electrician, Marion alleges that she was subjected to disparate treatment because of her sex, such as defacement of her personal property, use of derogatory language, unwarranted suspensions and a sexually hostile work culture.
The plaintiff alleges that one of her suspensions resulted from having reported infractions incurred by male employees, such as sleeping on the job or watching television while on the clock; that she was told directly by a co-worker that she was being targeted because she is female; that she was subjected to punitive action for minor infringements, such as arriving late to work, for which her male counterparts were not reproved; and that her complaints of repeated incidents of sexual harassment were met with retaliatory action instead of resolution.
The lawsuit states that Marion was terminated on Nov. 19, 2014, after filing a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Nov. 5. She filed a second complaint on Feb. 13, 2015.
Charging Amtrak with gender discrimination, sexual harassment and a sexually hostile work environment, the plaintiff alleges pain, suffering, humiliation, anguish and distress.
Marion seeks declarative judgment, compensatory and punitive damages of more than $75,000 for lost wages and benefits, reinstatement of her position, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and court costs. She is represented by Joel Samson and Massimo Terzigni of The Law Offices of Joel Sansone in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:15-cv-01323-MRH