Canton Township woman files federal discrimination lawsuits against North Franklin, Monongahela
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A Canton Township woman has filed federal lawsuits against two Washington County municipalities claiming she was a victim of discrimination while working for them as a part-time police officer.
Lindsi Kopko filed the lawsuits in recent weeks against Monongahela and North Franklin Township stating she was the victim of gender discriminations while she was employed in the municipalities, court records show.
She also claimed other officers in Monongahela harassed her by calling her obscene names and placing pornographic images on her work locker, she alleged in that lawsuit which was filed Oct. 20. She also claims Monongahela Mayor Bob Kepics made false accusations that she was sleeping on the job.
The four-count lawsuit also accuses the small Mon Valley city of violating the state Human Relations Act, creating a hostile work environment and unlawful retaliation.
In the lawsuit filed Sept. 1 against North Franklin, Kopko said she was passed over for promotions to full time positions, overlooked as a senior part-time officer in a department that made a practice of moving up those with the most seniority, the record indicates.
The four-count lawsuit against North Franklin also accuses the township of pregnancy discrimination, unlawful retaliation and violating the state Human Relations Act. She claims she was overlooked for a promotion as the most-senior officer while she was on maternity leave and that the full-time position was given to a man who was still on probation.
She was giving a “right to sue” by the U.S. Justice Department after first filing her complaints before the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, records show.
She began her employment with the township in April 2013