'They Tormented This Young Lady': Former Worker At Lower Burrell Auto Shop Wins More Than $510,000 In Sexual Harassment Case
LOWER BURRELL (KDKA) -- A jury rendered a $510,000 verdict to a woman who was sexually harassed, discriminated and retaliated against while working at a Lower Burrell Midas.
The decision came Tuesday and included $300,000 in punitive damages.
"While she was there, she suffered some of the most horrific harassment that you could possibly see," the woman's lawyer Robert Bracken said. "This included not only horrific language, but she was also actually showed a club that they carved called the 'Hannah Beater.'"
Bracken said his client, Hannah Harris, was subjected to vulgar comments from her male managers, including being told about sexual acts she should perform on them.
He also said Harris was told it was her "womanly duty" to scrub the bathroom and perform other tasks that male workers would not do.
"My client was the only female technician at this shop," the attorney said. "And as a result, they used her as a play-thing. They tormented this young lady."
Bracken said one manager repeatedly threatened to fire Harris if she complained about the way she was being treated.