Woman Sues State of West Virginia and Goodwill Industries for Sexual Harassment at Capitol

Lawsuit brought by Bailess Law Firm claims state worker was violated, stalked, and made to fear for her safety despite multiple reports to supervisors

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Sept. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A female state worker who was subjected to repeated acts of sexual harassment, including groping, stalking, and other aggressive behaviors, by a male janitorial employee at the State Capitol Complex is now suing Workforce West Virginia and Goodwill Industries. In the lawsuit, Kerrie Hudson claims the male employee repeatedly harassed her from October 2022 through April 2023. The lawsuit also states the accused had a known history of physically violent behavior during his assignment at the State Capitol.

According to Hudson's complaint, the harassment started when the male employee threw an empty trashcan at her. She then accuses him of leaning his body against her backside and, when she asked him to stop, striking her on the shoulder. Despite immediately reporting the incident to her supervisors, no action was taken to stop his behavior, forcing her to continue working in an unsafe environment, according to the suit.

Things worsened for Hudson from there. In April 2023, after attempting to hide from the male employee for nearly six months due to the inaction of the Workforce West Virginia and Goodwill, Hudson was sexually harassed by him in an elevator, per the suit. The complaint states the male employee forcefully shoved a female co-worker into Hudson, which knocked Hudson against the wall of the elevator, causing her to injure her left knee. He then grabbed her right breast, leaving visible marks on her chest.

Hudson immediately went to the administration office on the fourth floor of the Capitol with the female co-worker to report the elevator incident. Meanwhile, Hudson's sexual harasser was permitted to continue working without any repercussions or consequences due to his "mental status," according to the complaint.

"This case is a clear example of how systemic issues within a workplace allows sexual harassment to go unchecked," says Hudson's lawyer Todd Bailess of Bailess Law Firm. "Sexual harassment has no place at our state capitol."

The case is Kerrie S. Hudson v. Workforce West Virginia, an agency of the State of West Virginia Department of Commerce, and Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley, Inc., Civil Action No. CC-20-2024-C-885 in The Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia. A copy of the complaint can be accessed here.

About Bailess Law Firm
The attorneys at Bailess Law Firm have zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace. The West Virginia-based law firm takes pride in helping restore dignity and bringing hope to workers who have been subjected to unlawful employment practices.

SOURCE Bailess Law Firm