PITTSBURGH— A woman who worked as a traffic flagger has sued her former employer over allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination concerning pre-existing mental disorders.
Karen Parlor filed a lawsuit on March 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against Glen O. Hawbaker Inc., citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
According to her complaint, Parlor began working for the defendant on April 29, 2007, as a flagger, requiring her to stand the majority of her shift directing traffic. The plaintiff claims she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and ADHD as a small child.
Her medications for treatment of these disorders required her to take frequent bathroom breaks throughout her shift. Parlor claims the defendant was aware of her condition, yet repeatedly failed to give her breaks. As a result, she allegedly urinated on herself because she was not given a break.
The plaintiff furthermore claims that she was subjected to sexual harassment from male co-workers, which she reported to her supervisor without result. Parlor avers she was forced to quit on April 15, 2015, as a direct result of harassment and failure to accommodate her medical requirements.
Parlor seeks loss of back wages from April 15, 2015, to Dec. 1, 2015, in excess of $19,000, future wages in excess of $50,000, punitive damages, legal fees, pre-judgment interest, and court costs. She is represented by Christi Wallace of Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC, in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 3:16-cv-00064-KRG