By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A former Lewis County employee has filed a lawsuit alleging age discrimination and a hostile work environment claiming Lewis County Commissioner Bill Schulte engaged in an unremitting campaign of harassment towards her and even once chased her through the courthouse area in a rage of anger and abuse.
Sheila M. Unger, who was administrative coordinator for the county board of commissioners until September of 2010, filed her suit in U.S. District Court.
Unger is asking for damages in an amount to be proven at trial.
The complaint names the defendants as Schulte and his wife, the county board of commissioners and the county. It was filed Dec. 30 in Tacoma.
Through their attorneys, the defendants deny her allegations in a filing made late last month.
Unger was a full time employee of Lewis County from 1996 until Sept 23, 2010, according to court documents. She first began working for the county in 1974 and also worked part time, the documents state.
She is represented by Olympia attorney William Michael Hanbey.
Unger’s attorney writes that since Schulte assumed office, he engaged in verbally assaultive and angry tirades against Unger and made false accusations about her proficiency in her job. Schulte began a four-year term in January 2009.
Schulte refused to communicate with Unger, undermined her authority with her subordinate workers, and showed favoritism toward younger females in the workplace, according to Hanbey.
Unger’s age is not noted in the complaint, only that she is over 40 years old and therefore a member of a federally protected category.
She complained about Schulte to the other two commissioners, and submitted a formal complaint in May 2010, but no effective action was taken to curb his “campaign”, according to the federal complaint.
Unger took a medical leave due to the hostile work environment, the documents state.
It was September 2010, in retaliation, when the commissioner chased her causing her fear for her safety, Hanbey wrote. She was “constructively discharged” Sept. 23, 2010, he wrote.
Unger also alleges her personnel file was not kept confidential.
Neither Schulte, Unger nor any of their attorneys returned phone calls seeking comment.
Unger filed a tort claim with the county Sept. 27, 2010. She also filed a claim of discrimination with the Washington State Human Rights Commission and finally the federal lawsuit.
Schulte and the other defendants are represented by Jeannie Lee Bohlman and Suzanne Kelly Michael of the Seattle law firm Michael and Alexander.
Any damages Unger incurred are not their fault, the defendants’ attorneys wrote in their response.
The actions of the defendants were objectively reasonable under the circumstances of which the defendants were aware, and they enjoy qualified immunity, they wrote.
They maintain the defendants made a good faith effort to comply with state and federal anti discrimination laws.
The Seattle attorneys asked that the case be dismissed.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter