Stephanie Graham has filed a lawsuit against Covenant Transport, Inc. where she previously worked as a truck driver, claiming that she was subjected to sexual harassment by a co-worker while employed there.
In May of 2014, Ms. Graham was injured at work and was assigned to light duty work at Covenant Transport headquarters in Hamilton County. She claims that a male coworker there harassed her with unsolicited sexual advances, offensive statements, text messages and unwanted invasive touching.
This occurred every time Ms. Graham was in her coworker’s presence, she said, so she reported these incidents to her direct supervisor who told her the man’s behavior was already known and that she would have to just disregard it.
This harassment continued even after Ms. Graham again took her complaint to the supervisor and no remedial action was taken in the situation until she went to a higher ranking management employee, Ms. Graham said.
The alleged perpetrator was suspended after an investigation began, but Ms. Graham claims that she was then subjected to retaliatory action by other co-workers for the role she played. She claims that she was even intentionally transported by another employee to a place where the man was waiting to intimidate her.
Ms. Graham later resigned from her position at Covenant Transport and filed a lawsuit, alleging that her ex-employer was guilty of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, causing a loss of income and employment as well as emotional damages.
The plaintiff has called for a jury to try the case and decide on compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages.