PITTSBURGH – A welder who allegedly suffered numerous incidents of sex-based discrimination and retaliation through being fired has enlisted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to seek damages against her former place of business.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of Washington, D.C. filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on June 16 versus Moore & Morford, Inc., of Westmoreland County.
Amelia Thompson worked as a welder in the structural division of the defendant’s steel fabrication plants in Westmoreland County from January 2018 to February 2019, and says she was the only female welder on the job.
While in the defendants’ employ, Thompson contends she was regularly degraded by fitter Ronald Gerda and foreman William Weiner, the latter of whom was her supervisor.
Thompson was the recipient of sexually-specific insults and epithets such as, “c—t”, “dumb b—h”, “fat f—ing whore” and “motherf—r”, offensive hand gestures and was further allegedly targeted by Gerda through his creation of an unsafe work environment for her.
She was also allegedly told, “Women don’t belong on the floor”, “Women shouldn’t be on the line” and “Women shouldn’t be welding” – in addition to being reassigned to work in the paint yard by Weiner, despite his knowledge that she had just returned from sick leave and was still recovering from pneumonia, and a male co-worker spreading human waste in her restroom and on her belongings.
At no time during her employment did defendant ever investigate or discipline any employee for engaging in the aforementioned harassing conduct, Thompson says.
On Feb. 5, 2019, Thompson contacted and communicated with EEOC, thereby initiating the process for filing an EEOC Charge of Discrimination regarding sex harassment/discrimination and retaliation.
“Two days later, on Feb. 7, 2019, Thompson met with Richard Morford and James Morford. During this meeting, Thompson complained about Weiner’s and Gerda’s harassment and also informed the Morfords that she had already contacted EEOC about the harassment and had begun the process of filing an EEOC Charge. Approximately four days later, on Feb. 11, 2019, defendant informed Thompson that she was discharged, effective Feb. 8, 2019,” the suit says.
For counts of hostile work environment based on sex and retaliation for engaging in protected activity, the plaintiff is seeking extensive relief including: Injunctions and the institution of policies and programs to prevent any similar conduct from happening in the future, back pay with pre-judgment interest, compensation for past and future pecuniary losses, punitive damages, costs and such further relief that the Court deems necessary and proper in the public interest.
The plaintiff is represented by Catherine N. Sellers of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in Baltimore, Md.
The defendant has not yet secured legal counsel.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case 2:20-cv-00892
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com