SOUTH BEND IN May 25 2013 -- A former security guard for the St. Joseph County Public Library has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the library that alleges he was unfairly fired after he came forward with knowledge regarding a workplace sexual harassment complaint against his supervisor.
The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in South Bend, claims that the supervisor of plaintiff Joseph Kiama repeatedly threatened him after he came forward as a witness and then terminated him while upper-level staff looked the other way.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kiama by attorney Thomas Dixon, also claims the library staff discriminated against him because he is from Kenya.
The suit names as defendants the St. Joseph County Public Library, library director Donald Napoli
and Robert Sanders, former security supervisor at the library.
Both Dixon and Napoli declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Kiama was hired as a part-time security officer at the library in 2003 and then as a full-time officer in 2005, the lawsuit says.
Sanders was hired as Kiama's security supervisor in 2008, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims that Kiama witnessed Sanders sexually harass a female employee, which was the subject of a formal complaint.
In January 2012, Kiama took security camera footage to the library's assistant director that the lawsuit says captured Sanders intentionally grabbing a female employee in an inappropriate way.
The lawsuit alleges that Sanders then threatened and harassed Kiama for cooperating with the investigation.
Sanders also made it known that he does not like Kenyans, the lawsuit alleges.
Kiama told Napoli and other library staff about the threats, but the suit says they never took care of the problem.
In August 2012, the library fired Kiama without warning, acting on a recommendation from Sanders, the suit says.
The lawsuit claims Sanders was let go from his position as security supervisor earlier this year in connection with the sexual harassment investigation.
The suit argues that the actions of the library staff were discriminatory and violated the state's whistleblower laws.
It asks the court to award monetary damages and bar the defendants from acting in such a way in the future.
Source- south bend tribune
The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in South Bend, claims that the supervisor of plaintiff Joseph Kiama repeatedly threatened him after he came forward as a witness and then terminated him while upper-level staff looked the other way.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kiama by attorney Thomas Dixon, also claims the library staff discriminated against him because he is from Kenya.
The suit names as defendants the St. Joseph County Public Library, library director Donald Napoli
and Robert Sanders, former security supervisor at the library.
Both Dixon and Napoli declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Kiama was hired as a part-time security officer at the library in 2003 and then as a full-time officer in 2005, the lawsuit says.
Sanders was hired as Kiama's security supervisor in 2008, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims that Kiama witnessed Sanders sexually harass a female employee, which was the subject of a formal complaint.
In January 2012, Kiama took security camera footage to the library's assistant director that the lawsuit says captured Sanders intentionally grabbing a female employee in an inappropriate way.
The lawsuit alleges that Sanders then threatened and harassed Kiama for cooperating with the investigation.
Sanders also made it known that he does not like Kenyans, the lawsuit alleges.
Kiama told Napoli and other library staff about the threats, but the suit says they never took care of the problem.
In August 2012, the library fired Kiama without warning, acting on a recommendation from Sanders, the suit says.
The lawsuit claims Sanders was let go from his position as security supervisor earlier this year in connection with the sexual harassment investigation.
The suit argues that the actions of the library staff were discriminatory and violated the state's whistleblower laws.
It asks the court to award monetary damages and bar the defendants from acting in such a way in the future.
Source- south bend tribune