HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – A lawsuit has been filed against the City of Hattiesburg by the United States Department of Justice, alleging discrimination against a former employee who reported incidents of sexual harassment.
The lawsuit, submitted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on September 3, details allegations that city officials retaliated against a former Water & Sewer Department employee following her complaints about inappropriate behavior from a male supervisor.
The allegations indicate that the city is in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The former employee was terminated in May 2021, with her dismissal officially cited as insubordination due to her refusal to attend a mandatory meeting. However, the employee contends that she did, in fact, attend the meeting in question.
According to the lawsuit, the true motive behind her termination was her sexual harassment complaint against her supervisor.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized the government’s stance on the issue, stating, “No one who speaks up against workplace sexual harassment should face retaliation for doing so.”
The lawsuit claims that the inappropriate behavior by the supervisor began in August 2020 and that the employee was often required to spend significant time alone with him while collecting and testing water samples.
Specific details in the lawsuit reveal that during these alone times, the supervisor made unwelcome sexual remarks and engaged in inappropriate behavior, including discussing explicit details about his sex life and watching pornography.
The employee actively sought to address the issue by taking several steps, such as directly confronting her supervisor, speaking to his wife, and reporting the behavior to various department officials, including the supervisory manager and the Water & Sewer Department Director.
An investigation was initiated by Hattiesburg City Clerk Kermas Eaton and Human Resource Specialist Brenda Trotter after the employee raised her concerns.
By January 2021, the supervisor’s manager had provided the employee a temporary reassignment away from the supervisor. In March 2021, she requested a more permanent solution from Director Alan Howe.
During the same period, an investigation concluded with a recommendation that the two individuals should no longer work closely together.
However, despite this recommendation, the employee was mandated by Howe to attend a training session with her supervisor on April 28, 2021.
Initially, the employee declined to attend, though she later agreed but chose to sit away from the supervisor in the doorway.
Upon being instructed to move closer to her colleagues (including her supervisor), she refused, which ultimately led to her termination for insubordination.
City officials have stated that they cannot comment on ongoing litigation.
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit illustrates the serious consequences of workplace sexual harassment and underscores the assurance that victims will be protected when they make complaints.
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