JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO JOIN SEXUAL HARASSMENT
LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY OF BALTIMORE

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Department of Justice today filed a complaint, in U.S. District Court in Maryland, alleging the city of Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW), subjected a former female employee to sexual harassment. Today’s complaint was filed along with a motion to intervene in a lawsuit already filed by the former employee.

“An individual's continued employment should not require them to suffer sexual indignities,” said R. Alexander Acosta, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We will not hesitate to enforce the law where we find evidence of unlawful sexual discrimination.”

According to the complaint, the victim, formerly employed as a carpenter by the DPW, was subjected to an intimidating and hostile work environment. Additionally, the complaint alleges that the DPW failed to take appropriate action to remedy the effects of the discrimination. The complaint further alleges that the supervisor’s offensive conduct included exposing his genitalia, displaying pornography in the workplace, simulating sexual acts while informing the carpenter that these would be performed on her. Moreover, the complaint alleges her coworkers’ behavior included the display of sexual toys in the workplace as well as frequent sexual comments.

The Justice Department’s intervention into this lawsuit reflects the Civil Rights Division’s ongoing commitment to actively and affirmatively enforce federal employment discrimination laws. This is the fourth employment discrimination lawsuit authorized since November 2003. In addition, in fiscal year 2004 the Civil Rights Division has opened 49 investigations of state and local governments pursuing allegations of illegal employment discrimination.

If the motion to intervene is granted, this lawsuit will be prosecuted by the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Employment Litigation Section is available on the Department of Justice’s website at <htttp://www.usdoj.gov/crt/emp>.

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04-107