Five years ago, before the Union County taxpayers were stuck picking up the tab of what is shaping up to be yet another expensive employee law suit due to mismanagement and juvenile behavior, this one involving Freeholder Rick Proctor and his aforementioned private part, a complaint was filed in Essex County on August 23, 2000 against Rick Proctor for the same appendage, among other individuals.
Since then Rick Proctor has been appointed a Union County Freeholder and elected twice without a mention of either of these complaints reported in the media.
Plaintiffs Gina Behre and Barbara Kozak filed the complaint against Township of Bloomfield and the Board of Health. Rick Proctor was the Director of Health and Human Services for the Township of Bloomfield.
During their employment with Defendant Township of Bloomfield, plaintiffs allege that they were subject to a hostile working environment and a pattern of gender, age and pregnancy discrimination. Defendants repeatedly subjected plaintiffs and other female employees to egregious and outrageous acts of a sexually offensive nature within the workplace, which created a pervasive hostile working environment for Plaintiffs and other employees, examples of the discrimination include, but are not limited to, the following:
On or about Summer 1998, defendant Zawacki, who was at the time a passenger in an automobile along with defendant Proctor, told plaintiffs to get in the automobile and “sit on our laps”….
On or about October 7th through December 23, 1998 defendant Proctor without justification hired a private investigator to follow and investigate plaintiffs and other female employees and investigate their personal telephone conversations. No such investigation was conducted of similarly situated male employees or male employees who were younger than plaintiff Kozak.
On or about June 1995 and on numerous other occasions, defendant Wardrope paraded through the office with pornographic materials, including but not limited to, photographs of male genitals.
Notwithstanding plaintiffs’ repeated complaints to defendant Proctor, defendant Wardrope repeatedly and continuously used vulgar gestures and language, ridiculed plaintiffs, and used profanity and language with sexual connotation, particularly the expressions, “F---You”, “C—t”, “Whore”, “Slut” and referred to defendant Proctor as “Mr. Pric-tor” in the presence of plaintiffs and other employees.
On or about January 8, 1999, defendant Proctor uttered negative and derogatory comments to plaintiff Behre in the presence of staff regarding her impending maternity leave and pregnancy.
On or about January 8, 1999, defendant Proctor promoted a male individual who was less experienced and less qualified than plaintiffs. Indeed, the individual had no license to conduct, much less supervise, the duties and responsibilities of a sanitary inspector.
This hiring practice is rampant throughout Union County government from the County Manager on down.
View the complaint
Previously reported:
JULY 21, 2006
Dontcha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?
Freeholder Rick Pric-tor in jealous workplace triangle: lawsuit
BY TINA RENNA
View the complaint
