Former road worker sues county

Suit alleges sexual harassment and discrimination.

By JENNIFER KNOPP

The Capital-Journal

Aformer road maintenance worker for the Shawnee County public works department has sued the county, alleging that he was injured and sexually harassed during his 16-year employment with the county.

William P. Zander, who said he was fired June 6 from his job as a road maintenance worker, is suing the county and certain county employees for harassment, discrimination and deprivation of his rights on the job. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court on June 14.

Zander also is seeking to get his job back after being terminated by Mike Sease, Shawnee County director of public works. Sease wouldn't comment on the case.

On Tuesday, County Counselor Rich Eckert said the allegations against Sease and Donna Allen, director of human resources for Shawnee County, are untrue and without merit.

According to Zander's attorney, Dennis Hawver, Zander got off on the wrong foot with his co-workers because he censured them when they made racist remarks. Zander's co-workers allegedly retaliated by setting a bathroom on fire when Zander was at the urinal and setting off acetylene "bombs" near him.

Hawver said one of Zander's co-workers was the ringleader and encouraged other employees to harass Zander.

The co-worker, who worked with Zander for two years and also is being sued, was terminated from his employment after being prosecuted for injuring Zander when he exploded an acetylene bomb 6 feet from Zander, who suffered hearing loss, on the job site, according to the lawsuit.

Zander also alleged the co-worker frequently sexually harassed Zander by groping him and constantly requesting sex. Hawver contended that Zander's co-worker also sexually harassed other employees and supervisors, including Sease, according to the lawsuit.

Hawver said Allen and Sease ignored Zander's complaints.

Allen "had a duty to protect this guy and she refused to do it," Hawver said.

Eckert said attorney William Larson has been hired to represent the county, Sease and Allen because Larson handles lawsuits dealing with federal issues. Larson hadn't read the lawsuit yet and wouldn't comment on it Tuesday.

Zander's former co-worker will hire his own attorney.

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