WILLIAMSPORT — Bucknell University has been accused of gender discrimination by a Watsontown woman who had been a staff sergeant with its Department of Public Safety.
Patricia James contends in her civil rights suit filed Tuesday in U.S. Middle District Court that before she was fired in 2008, she was treated differently than male officers.
James was hired in February 2007 and said she began documenting incidents of alleged gender discrimination that December that she contends included arbitrary enforcement of the uniform policy and approval of training programs.
She claims in November 2007, she was disciplined for wearing civilian clothing while doing paperwork and reprimanded for bringing a sick child to work.
The suit claims male officers are not disciplined for wearing civilian clothes while doing paperwork, and they have brought sick children to work and asked clerical workers to supervise them.
Other examples included James being:
-- Denied permission to attend a work-related seminar but male officers regularly were allowed to attend similar events.
-- Denied hotel accommodations to attend a seminar because she lived too close, but a male counterpart who lived closer got them.
-- Scrutinized through tapes of her work to discredit her, but tapes of male officers were not similarly reviewed.
-- Not given the opportunity to interview for a lieutenant’s position, but a male officer with lesser qualifications was and he got the promotion.
She also alleges a supervisor maintained an internal file on her, but no such files were kept for male officers.
James says in July 2008, her lawyer informed Bucknell and its general counsel, Wayne Bromfield, about the gender discrimination allegations.
She left for vacation on July 25, 2008, and when she returned, she said she was told she was suspended.
Bromfield on Aug. 8, 2008, advised James’ lawyer the university intended to terminate her, suggested she voluntarily agree to it and make an offer for severance, the suit states.
James said she refused to make an offer and that she desired to continue working for Bucknell.
In an Aug. 9, 2008, response, the university informed her if she desired to return to work, she would be suspended for 30 days without pay, demoted and permanently assigned to the midnight shift.
James’ lawyer responded that his client would not accept the suspension or demotion, alleging they were punitive and retaliation for her reporting the alleged gender discrimination.
James states in her court complaint she realized about Sept. 12, 2008, when she did not get a pay check that she had been terminated effective Aug. 24 without notice.
That October, she filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and that agency told her Dec. 10 that she had the right to seek court action.
The suit seeks a judgment that Bucknell violated James’ right to be free from discrimination along with unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
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