PHILADELPHIA — An African American female alleges she faced discrimination and retaliation while working at the Lehigh County Jail due to her race, sex and disability.
Brielle Allen also known as Brielle Collins filed a complaint Sept. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Lehigh County Jail, Lehigh County alleging civil rights violations.
Allen, an African American female, began working as a construction officer at the Lehigh County jail on April 27, 2015, according to her suit. She alleges that she worked the night shift and suffered from anxiety and depression which was controlled through medication. Allen claims she faced a hostile work environment which worsened her mental health including having Popeye's Chicken sauce packets deliberately left in her mailbox.
She also claims a male supervisor "loudly informed" another supervisor that he was not attracted to Black women and "would not date one." Allen claims the hostile work environment led to her hospitalization after a suicide attempt on Sept. 18, 2020, and that the defendant failed to grant her reasonable accommodation of being transferred to the day shift. She also claims she faced discipline for alleged infractions which Caucasian male employees were not disciplined for and was terminated on Oct. 1, 2020.
Allen seeks monetary relief of more than $150,000, interest and all other just relief. She is represented by Andrew Cotlar of The Law Offices of Cotlar and Cotlar in Doylestown.
U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 5:21-CV-03994-JLS