PHILADELPHIA — A 911 coordinator and another employee are suing the County of Delaware, citing alleged age discrimination, sex discrimination, maintenance of hostile environment, post-employment retaliation, violation of rights under the United States Constitution and Civil Rights Act, and violation of Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law.
Karen McIntyre and Julie Burke filed a complaint on Nov. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against County of Delaware.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that while they were employed at the Delaware County's Emergency Services Department, they experienced discrimination and harassment including bullying and degrading comments and have been paid lower salary compared with their male counterparts.
They were retaliated against for protesting the discriminatory practices, the lawsuit says. They were suspended from jobs on March 27 and were fired on Aug. 22, the suit says.
Burke was 57 years old and McIntyre was 52 when they were terminated, and they have been replaced by younger employees, they say. The plaintiffs say the defendant discriminated against them and deprived them of their rights with intentional malice and reckless indifference to the plaintiffs' rights protected by the laws of the United States and laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek compensatory damages, including any and all recoverable economic and non-economic loss, attorney's fees and costs, and other relief the court finds fair and proper. They are represented by Mark Schwartz in Bryn Mawr and of Pearlman Law Firm PLLC in Bala Cynwyd.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case No. is 2:18-cv-05066-JD.