| Former worker at Staten Island marine yard files $16 million sexual harassment s |
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| Monday, 10 December 2007 02:34 | |||
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by Staten Island Advance Sunday December 09, 2007, 10:07 PM Her former supervisors and co-workers at a Mariners Harbor marine yard treated her like a sex object, pinching and groping her and making degrading comments, a Richmond woman alleges in a $16 million sexual harassment lawsuit. Click READ MORE to read more Melissa Brennan, 25, a former recruiter in the human resources department, says she quit her job at K-Sea Transportation Inc. in July after managers reacted hostilely to her complaints and she was transferred to the company's corporate office in East Brunswick, N.J. Ms. Brennan allegedly suffered emotional distress and trauma, along with anxiety and depression that have 'negatively impacted her well-being' and required treatment. Ms. Brennan seeks $10 million in punitive damages and $6 million in compensatory damages in the suit, recently filed in Brooklyn federal court. 'They feel like they can say and do what they like and they don't know any respect or professionalism toward women,'Ms. Brennan said, according to one published report. Matthew T. Schatz, one of her lawyers, has declined comment and said Ms. Brennan also would have no further comment. K-Sea denies her allegations in court papers and a spokesman declined further comment beyond saying the company would vigorously defend itself. 'Out of respect for the process, we are not discussing the matter,'said Jim Lawrence, the spokesman. According to its Web site, the company is a domestic marine transportation outfit, specializing in moving gasoline, jet fuel and heating oil. It maintains a fleet of barges, tugboats and fuel tankers. Ms. Brennan began working part-time for the company at its Richmond Terrace yard in August 2004, court papers said. After graduating college in May 2005, she became a full-time operations administration assistant. In August 2006, she was promoted and transferred the human resources department to work as a recruiter. Ms. Brennan says her new environment quickly grew toxic, and she alleges she was subjected to incidents of 'sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. 'Specifically, she claims a vessel superintendent pinched, punched and grabbed her arms, leaving bruises, while others made sexually-charged comments about her breasts and buttocks. A vessel captain 'constantly' touched her in front of colleagues and asked her to run away with him, she says, while a risk manager cornered her to ask for a hug and kiss. Male co-workers 'constantly ogled and stared'at her when she walked in the parking lot or in the office, Ms. Brennan claims. After two male managers allegedly shaped her hotel-room pillows as a penis during a conference they attended, Ms. Brennan reported the incidents to the human resources department. She alleges her complaints were either blown off or she was told they were not believable. She was transferred to East Brunswick in retaliation, she claims. In a July 23 resignation notice, Ms. Brennan told superiors she felt 'forced'to leave the company because of the harsh and degrading treatment she had received. As a final act of humiliation, the company made her turn in her ID in front of her co-workers and leave without her personal belongings, she contends.---- Contributed by Frank Donnelly
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