SCRANTON — A bisexual man claims he faced harassment, retaliation and discrimination while working for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Paul Haines filed a complaint Sept. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Ronald Gorko and Brian Small, alleging civil rights violations.
According to his complaint, Haines, a bisexual, was hired by the defendants on March 5, 2018. He claims that he faced discrimination and harassment including defendant Gorko leaving a message on his personal phone and calling him a "pee pee toucher" and also having an inappropriate, harassing message left on the tailgate of his truck while at a worksite.
He says, also, a tampon was once placed in his chair. He claims his co-workers humiliated him, made false accusations against him and watched his house. Haines alleges that on Sept. 17, 2020, police were called to his home over false claims from Small that he was beating his family and that on Sept. 21, 2020, he had to take medical leave due to the mental stress stemming from his workplace harassment.
Haines seeks monetary relief, interest and all other proper relief. He is represented by Scott Diamond of The Derek Smith Law Group PLLC in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania case number 1:21-CV-01601-CCC