ALLENTOWN – Court records show a settlement was reached last fall in the case of a former employee of Berks Gymnastic Academy who sued the business and her ex-supervisor for allegations of sexual assault.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Henry S. Perkin ordered Oct. 25, 2016 that the litigation filed by Sarah Lorish against GBA Inc., doing business as Berks Gymnastic Academy, and Richard Fiorentino was dismissed.
“[It is] ordered that the above action is dismissed with prejudice, pursuant to agreement of counsel without costs. The court intends to retain jurisdiction for 90 days from now, and any settlement agreement is approved and made a part of the record and this order for enforcement purposes only,” Perkin’s order read. Settlement terms were not disclosed.
According to the lawsuit, Lorish was employed by Berks Gymnastic Academy from the summer of 2012 through Oct. 28, 2014, working as a part-time coach. The plaintiff claimed that before her employment, she had been a student of the defendant, who allegedly treated her in an inappropriately sexual manner as both a student and an employee.
On March 22, 2014, the defendant reportedly made an unwanted sexual advance to the plaintiff and continued the behavior until the plaintiff felt forced to resign on Oct. 28, 2014, the suit claimed. Lorish alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) assault and/or battery in her litigation, and had sought compensatory damages in excess of $75,000, punitive damages, costs of the suit and attorney’s fees.
The plaintiff was represented by James E. Gavin of Masano Bradley, in Wyomissing.
The defendant was represented by Andrew N. Howe of Spruce Law Group, in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case 5:16-cv-01641
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com