Earlier today, a federal jury ruled in favor of women who sued the city of Kingston for sexual harassment and awarded them a total of $85,000, but it did not find for the third plaintiff in the case.
Of great note, the jury found that Jeanne Edwards being laid off from the Department of Public Works by Mayor James Sottile in May 2009 was an act of retaliation for filing the lawsuit, and the presiding judge in the case, Lawrence Kahn, ordered Edwards reinstated.
The jury, which heard the case in U.S. District Court in Albany, awarded Edwards $55,000 and Soria $30,000. Of Edwards’ total, the jury said $30,000 was because Sottile retaliated against her. The city must cover court costs and the plaintiffs’ legal fees, which will top $100,000, and the city also must pay its own attorney in the case, Robert Cook.
The city has been given a black eye.
13 comments:
Michael Sussman is the real winner of this case. He'll collect legal fees in excess of $100,000 and 1/3 of any monetary award granted to the two plaintiffs.
Rich, the Mayor has used the lame excuse in the past of "re-aligning" the Dpw when he has wanted to retaliate against employees and move them around. Mike Schupp has helped him do so recently when union officials and other workers have spoken up against unfair practices in the workplace. Harrassment and retaliation have no place in our City and should not be tolerated. Guess what? the Jury agreed with that in Albany and now we the people have to pay for this kind of behavior. The same goes for all the hoops the city has made a certain union official go through just to receive training to drive with a CDL. Being held to a different standard is a form of retaliation and the department head Mike Schupp and the Mayor, and anyone that AIDS THEM are gonna end up learning another lesson,RETAILATION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!
part of the verdict should be the Mayor be fired.shame on him for defending his lieing minipulative behaviour.FIRE his ass.so he'll understand what its like to be unemployed
I have had enough of the antics from Sottile and company. The first thing this clown in a business suit does after verdict is threaten to layoff another worker and further practice vindictiveness. If there was ever an individual that shouldnt be allowed access to power, it is Jim Sottile. The council needs to distant themselves completely from this unstable man that cannot help him self from making poor choices.
All you people who voted for sottile another term got what you deserve. You should all be ashamed of yourself for what has happened to our city.
One has to wonder what role, if any, Shayne Gallo played in all this and whether his election would perpetuate the culture at City Hall which allowed this to happen.
What is up with Tawana Washington, the Human Rights director that we are paying for? She did a lousy job on this matter and from what I hear, she is always siding with the front office. The Human Rights dept. is designed to protect the workers, not testify against the workers like she did last week on behalf of the City. She is known as a sellout, and will never be trusted by the employees which totally defeats the purpose of having the dept. in place. Perhaps dismissing her with next administration is in order, or axe the dept. and let the County take over the office.
The mayor has already talked about laying off a laborer - further reducing City services which are currently making the City unattractive - trash on streets, potholes, unpainted crosswalks. How about laying off the two jobs manufactured for his Alderman at Large's nephew and wife?
As far as I was concerned it was a slam dunk case! Good for the women! Okay, men out there especially in DPW, mind your manners and keep your sexual antics in your mind only. Will be good to see Edwards back in the job if she chooses to return.
What kind of legal counsel did Sottile receive? Either attorney Cook, or Shane Gallo, or both are terrible attornies for the advice they gave to the City. Gallo is running for mayor, which concerns me if he has been part of the dysfunction that has been in play for years under Sottile administration. We all need to take pause and consider that when voting for mayor.
The insurance company tends to call the shots over whether litigation gets settled or goes to trial.
1:46 I am way past you in who I am going to vote for. You voiced the same thoughts I had. Shayne Gallo is counsel for the city and I feel he has offered poor legal advice to Sottile. Why in God's name would I want him to run this city when he didn't seem to know how to handle the crap going on in the DPW or advise the Mayor against firing one of the women involved in the harassment suit.
There is a lot more to come out. Stay tuned, boys and girls.
Post a Comment