County Officials Accused of Ignoring Sexual Misconduct Allegations at 911 Center
Armstrong County Commissioners and 911 Dispatch officials are being sued after allowing years of sexual misconduct to continue inside the private domain of the emergency operating center.
The suit, filed in Federal Court in Pittsburgh on Friday, alleges that employees at 911 use inappropriate sexual language openly and even research sexually explicit topics on their county-owned computer workstations. On several occasions, coworkers even watched pornographic videos. During a staff training session, a male employee was permitted by management to put whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top of his clothed body and a female co-worker ate it off him in a sexually suggestive manner.
The suit was brought about by Marci Creel, a veteran employee of more than 20 years of the county’s 911 operations. She began working in the Emergency Operating Center in 1990 as a dispatcher. She was promoted in 2008 to Training Coordinator and was in charge of completing mandated Quality Assurance reports.
The suit alleges that Creel voiced her concerns to 911 Coordinator Ron Baustert and Director of Public Safety Randy Brozenick at various times. When neither official took action, she escalated the concerns to then-Human Resources Director Maryanne Koleny in August 2011. Instead of taking corrective action, Creel became the subject of ridicule.
According to the Complaint, Baustert criticized her concerns and said the complaints “showed him that she no longer shared his vision so she was no longer someone he wanted on his team.” Instead, he permitted such things as allowing employees and supervisors to take a quiz in Cosmopolitan magazine that determined a person’s “type” based on how he or she responds “during an orgasm.”
It is alleged that Baustert intentionally assigned security door entry codes to specific individuals that spelled sexually offensive words.
New trainees repeatedly complained to Creel as the training coordinator and to Baustert that the conduct was disruptive and interfering with their ability to learn. Baustert continued to allow the misconduct to continue and it impacted Creel’s ability to adequately train new employees.
Human resource records show the public safety department has the greatest number of labor turnover within the county staffing.
Creel finally made a formal written complaint about the sexually hostile work environment to the three county commissioners - David Battaglia, Robert Bower, and Richard Fink - as well as Baustert, Brozenick, and Koleny on September 20, 2012. Five days later, Creel was demoted and Training Coordinator aspects of her job were removed.
Creel contacted the EEOC in December 2012 and filed her first charge of discrimination, alleging that county officials failed to take any action in response to her complaints.
Creel has a medical condition called optic atrophy which affects her vision. When the 911 dispatch center was located in the court house annex, she had access to a computer configuration that compensated for her vision problems. However, when the dispatch center was moved to the Armsdale property, she was not provided with the same configuration although the county was aware of her vision problems during her tenure. Because of the accuracy required by a 911 dispatcher, she reported the problem to Baustert, Brozenick, Koleny, and commissioners Bower and Battaglia concerning her request for reasonable accommodations.
When Koleny was replaced by new Director of Human Resources Daniel Lucovich, Creel once again explained her concern. Instead of making accommodations, harassment began by co-workers turning off the lights and work in the dark during the evening shift. They failed to provide Creel with information that she needed to do her job and would wear dark glasses and make sarcastic and offensive comments about her disability. When she reported the ongoing harassment, a light-blocking coating was applied to the large exterior window adjacent to Creel’s cubicle, causing her assigned work area to be even darker. Light bulbs were not replaced above her work area, and the county refused to fix certain computer issues.
Creel filed a second charge with the EEOC for the county’s failure to engage in the interactive process, provide her with reasonable accommodations, and retaliation against her for complaining of the sexually hostile environment.
On November 13, 2013, the county terminated Creel, stating it was because of unsatisfactory job performance.
The suit seeks to have Creel reinstated to the position she previously occupied and lost compensation that has resulted since she was terminated. It specifically names Battaglia, Bower, Fink, Brozenick, Baustert, and Koleny in their professional capacities with the county as well as holds them accountable individually for their actions.
All requests for information were directed to Armstrong County Solicitor Chase McClister, who was not available for comment over the weekend.
Local News | KP NewsDesk May 11, 2015
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By jerry6, May 11, 2015 @ 7:56 AM
If all of this is true, the whole bunch of the idiots need to be fired. There is no reason for this to go on in this day and age by some male who is obsessed with sex. Fire him and anyone else who participated in this garbage.
By Rainbow Rider, May 11, 2015 @ 9:15 AM
If true this is absolutely awful. Sounds like Lucovich might be part of the problem too.
By unclbuck, May 11, 2015 @ 11:02 AM
Did we not fiind pornography on a commissioner computer. kipatrick, fink, remember how upset they were. also were these things done onwork hours, as part of on the job training. have an investigation, remember a commissioner who was double dipping, had drugs stolen, and unauthorized use of his computer for porn. the persons responsibe for the whipped cream dance. is this not perversion. election time choose wisely.
By John.N, May 11, 2015 @ 11:57 AM
I can’t wait untill the other side is heard. Political timming maybe?
By opie2, May 11, 2015 @ 12:17 PM
It just goes on and on
By Rat_Smeller, May 11, 2015 @ 12:23 PM
A very wise man once told me that the fish rots from the head down.
By opie2, May 11, 2015 @ 12:24 PM
And these people run our county
By bevcat, May 11, 2015 @ 12:48 PM
TERRIBLE……No one should have to work under these condition…….Not everybody thinks and talks sex all the time…there is a time and place for that……No respect for fellow co workers….
By steve, May 12, 2015 @ 5:09 PM
I heard through the grapevine that one of the commissioner candidates responded to a voter’s question regarding this issue and his response was to enjoy their walk through the wildflowers!
Be careful when you vote because there may be more of the same to come!
By watchdog15, May 12, 2015 @ 9:35 PM
Remember what happened in the PA Attorney General’s office porn scandal. Many people lost their jobs including a Supreme Court Justice who stepped down. Anyone lose their job in past Armstrong County porn? I recollect a person at the jail. Then the voters elect a Commissioner who viewed porn at work and now oversees all county departments. Did anyone expect an investigation into this activity at 911 during her allegations? What a mess that could cost the taxpayers lots of money. Commissioner Fink you’ve been there for almost 12 years and went public before. Let’s hope our tax dollars aren’t used to defend a lack of management at the top. There’s an election next week for Commissioner, uncklbuck, choose wisely doesn’t even come close in describing what the voters should consider. Think about the next 4 years if we end up with the same type of leaders.
By mad-2010, May 13, 2015 @ 6:33 AM
Did you really think that the “Good Ol Boy Network” has changed in Armstrong County? If so, try again! I Hope she wins her case….
By nobodyfromnowhere, May 13, 2015 @ 10:04 AM
I was hired to work at 911 in years gone by, and the director before the present one wouldn’t put up with this kind of thing.
I visited 911 later on and the language coming from the employees would have made a sailor blush. No excuse for this.
By watchdog15, May 13, 2015 @ 9:55 PM
Don’t use my tax dollars to defend Battaglia or Bower. Talk about poor leadership and NO management capabilities by two elected officials who Ms. Creel approached to help her perform proficient work duties. Of course what did the voters expect when they both misled the public in the past election and continue in the same manner. Federal Court is NOT like Armstrong County court. Get your wallets and checkbooks out taxpayers.