SCRANTON - A woman says she was discriminated against by her employer, the City of Scranton, for a variety of reasons, including her son's political career.
The City of Scranton, Mayor Paige Gebhardt-Cognetti, and Local Lodge No. 2462, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO are facing a lawsuit filed by Virginia Flynn in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The case was filed on Jan. 12.
Flynn is represented by Lawrence J. Moran Jr., Esq., and Jennifer Menichini, Esq., from Joyce, Carmody & Moran, P.C. She alleges that there has been a persistent effort by the city and Mayor Gebhardt-Cognetti to discriminate against her and retaliate against her due to her disabilities and age.
She claims this discrimination ultimately led to her termination. She also says her ties to the Democratic Party and her son, state Sen. Marty Flynn, have caused troubles, as Marty has been a "vocal critic" of Mayor Gebhardt-Cognetti.
Flynn accuses the defendants of violating several laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). She also alleges First Amendment violations related to political speech, political association, union activity, and union membership.
Additionally, Flynn claims that her union breached its duty of fair representation. She seeks redress for acts of discrimination and retaliation in her working environment.