ALLENTOWN – A female former officer of the Lehigh Township Police Department has alleged that over a five-year period, the Chief of Police targeted her for sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse, creating what she calls a “hostile, toxic and intolerable work environment” that led to her resignation.
Jessica Edwards of Center Valley filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on June 26 versus Lehigh Township of Walnutport and its Chief of Police Scott Fogel, of Whitehall.
The lawsuit alleges Fogel made numerous inappropriate comments and exhibited objectionable behavior towards Edwards during her tenure as an officer with the Lehigh Township Police Department. Among them:
• In February 2019, Fogel allegedly commented that a cycling outfit worn by Edwards in one of her social media posts was “too revealing or scandalous” and instructed a subordinate to warn her of same;
• In May-June 2019, Fogel allegedly interrogated Edwards about her personal life and demanded to know whether or not she was engaged in an intimate, sexual relationship with another police officer on the Lehigh Township force, Officer D. This occurred despite the fact that the Lehigh Township had no policy prohibiting relationships among co-workers;
• In May 2020, Fogel allegedly summoned Edwards into his office and lifted his shirt, deliberately exposing his torso and upper body to her;
• In May-June 2020, Fogel allegedly made a crude remark in reference to the same inter-department relationship he interrogated Edwards about the year prior, which implied that Edwards was promiscuous and a carrier of a sexually-transmitted disease;
• In December 2020, Fogel allegedly pulled Edwards’ hair and snapped her head back on two occasions; twice in 2020.
• In November 2021, during a “No Shave November” event where male members of the police department grow mustaches for charity, Fogel allegedly said to Edwards, in front of other officers, “If you don’t want to shave ‘whatever,’ you don’t have to,” implying she didn’t have to shave her pubic hair;
• During a sexual harassment training seminar prepared by Fogel, a PowerPoint slide depicted a naked cartoon character above the message, “Don’t pull your d–ck out at work”;
• In March 2021, after Edwards made comments regarding traffic enforcement and public safety at a public meeting in Upper Saucon Township, both where she resides and while off-duty, Fogel allegedly attempted to issue a citation for “misuse of police powers” – despite Edwards making no inappropriate comments in actuality and being informed of same by the Upper Saucon Township Chief of Police, who also attended the meeting;
• In November 2021, Edwards responded to a medical emergency involving her daughter and was then two hours late for a training exercise. Fogel allegedly sought a doctor’s note to verify her explanation, a demand which Edwards says was only rescinded when the President of the Lehigh Township Police Association informed Fogel that the demand violated the terms of Edwards’ employment contract;
• In April 2022, Edwards dual-filed a complaint against the Lehigh Township Police Department, Lehigh Township and Fogel, with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging discrimination and harassment in violation of state and federal law;
• One year later, in April-May 2023, Fogel allegedly began investigating a baseless allegations that Edwards “had carried on an intimate sexual affair with a community member’s same-sex ex-partner.”
• Not long after that, according to the litigation, Edwards resigned effective June 1 of this year, after being subjected to “the malicious, wrongful, tortious and abusive conduct of Fogel and the complicity of the Township.”
An inquiry for comment from the Pennsylvania Record to Lehigh Township authorities was not returned.
For counts of sexual harassment – hostile work environment, sexual harassment – constructive discharge under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, battery, defamation – slander and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, delay damages and any other relief available at law or equity as deemed appropriate by the Court.
The plaintiff is represented Ryan Ringo Corkery and Dean Malik of Ansa Assuncao, in Wayne.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case 5:23-cv-02438
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com