Joy Global allegedly justifies the sexual harassment of a female employee because she “sometimes laugh[s] at dirty jokes.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Employee Files a Complaint against Joy Global, Inc. for Gender Discrimination

Pamela, the rare female at Joy Global, Inc., worked for the mining solutions company as a shop scheduler for over twenty years. In 2014, Pamela asserts that a coworker grabbed her from behind and pressed his body against her, running his hands up and down her body. Pamela screamed and stepped away. She recognized the coworker as he walked away, laughing.

After her boss heard the report, he simply said “just stay away from each other.” Meanwhile, Human Resources allegedly justified the coworker’s sexual harassment by saying that Pamela would “sometimes laugh at dirty jokes” and that her harasser “has a wife.” But Pamela held her ground and requested further investigation into the sexual harassment.

Human Resources allegedly justified the coworker’s sexual harassment by saying that Pamela would “sometimes laugh at dirty jokes” and that her harasser “has a wife.”Soon after, Pamela heard that her coworker had been disciplined, but she continued to see him often in the office. Uncomfortable, Pamela did her best to avoid him while working. After Pamela reported the sexual harassment, she began receiving discipline for insignificant errors. First, a written warning was given to Pamela for using slow work hours to correct the grammar and format errors in her job description. Then, she received a second written warning with an immediate three-day suspension for alleged issues with her duties tagging and dispatching. According to Pamela, no other person in her job description had ever received such harsh discipline for similar alleged problems. Even Pamela’s coworker, who had sexually harassed her, had not been given such punishment.

Pamela approached HR about the disciplinary actions taken against her since she reported the sexual harassment. Less than a month after complaining to HR, Pamela was fired due to her alleged negligence and her “blow up” regarding the sexual harassment.

Joy Global tried to sweep a sexual harassment problem under the rug. After Pamela reported the sexual harassment, Joy Global chose to protect the harasser instead of Pamela, the victim. In such a “boys club” culture, Pamela experienced clear discrimination because she is a woman. Naturally, Joy Global denies these claims. KM&A fights for employees like Pamela who have endured sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation.

Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 1:17-cv-00168-BR

Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is an employment law firm with principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, serving all counties in Pennsylvania, focusing on employment law, business law, litigation, and civil issues. KM&A clients include employees, small businesses, parties in litigation, and people with a variety of legal issues.

For more information about this case, contact Attorney Kayla Drum at 412-626-5594 or at kd@lawkm.com.

NOTICE: All information contained in this statement comes from the Complaint which has been filed as a public record with the court. As dedicated civil rights attorneys, we strongly believe in the public value of telling our clients’ stories: violators can be held accountable, and other silent victims can feel empowered to stand up for their legal rights. Although we make every attempt to verify our clients’ claims, note that the defendant is expected to oppose our client’s position, and the court has not ruled one way or the other as of the date of this statement.