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By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@leader.net
Saturday, March 15, 2003 Page: 3A
SCRANTON – A Wilkes-Barre man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit
against an area company, alleging two co-workers sexually harassed him by
inferring he was a homosexual.
William Dehaut of Poplar Street says the harassment at Coon Industries in
Pittston caused him such severe emotional distress that he became disabled,
preventing him from performing his duties since April 2001, according to the
suit filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of
Pennsylvania.
The suit claims Donald Galli, operations manager, and Michael Martinelli,
central dispatcher, have engaged in various behavior that led other employees
to question Dehaut regarding his sexual orientation.
The suit says Galli has repeatedly referred to Dehaut, a 30-year employee
of the company, as “Sweet William.” Martinelli has made comments in the
workplace regarding Dehaut’s sexual preference, and once placed Dehaut’s pay
check on Martinelli’s lap and told Dehaut he should “come and get it.”
Dehaut says he complained to the company’s vice president, David Puz, but
the sexual harassment did not stop.
The suit, filed by attorney Kimberly Borland of Wilkes-Barre, says the
actions constituted a “constructive discharge” of Dehaut. Dehaut is seeking
more than $500,000 in compensatory damages and back pay, as well as punitive
damages. He is also seeking an order prohibiting the company from
discriminating against employees based on their sex.
Contacted Friday, Puz declined to comment, saying he had not seen the suit
yet.