PITTSBURGH – A military veteran and former warehouse and receiving worker has filed a gender discrimination against her past employer, charging that a hostile professional environment led to her termination simply due to her being female.
Jennifer Prinkey of Ellwood City filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 10 versus Manuli Hydraulics (Americas) Inc., of Warrendale.
Per the litigation, Prinkey was hired by the defendant as a temporary warehouse employee in July 2015 and was moved into a permanent position that September, taking on duties such as packing and shipping product. Prinkey was moved to Receiving in late 2015 and then reported to Receiving Manager, Mark Roan. Throughout this time, Prinkey received excellent performance reviews, the suit claims.
A new management team was brought into the company in February 2016, and Prinkey alleges these individuals leveled unjustified criticism at her supposedly being unable to perform certain manual labor tasks due to her gender. Mere weeks later, Prinkey was terminated on March 11, 2016 – an action she charges was tantamount to a violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
Prior to bringing the instant action, Prinkey filed charges of discrimination alleging gender discrimination and hostile work environment with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission on June 6, 2016. More than one year has passed since Prinkey filed the administrative charges in 2016, and less than two years have expired since the PHRC closed its investigation, the suit says.
For alleged violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act through gender discrimination, hostile work environment and wrongful termination based upon gender, the plaintiff is seeking back pay, front pay, compensation for lost fringe benefits, lost retirement benefits and compensatory damages for humiliation, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem and costs.
The plaintiff is represented by Neal A. Sanders of the Law Office of Neal A. Sanders, in Kittanning.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-18-000349
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com