Sep 5, 2019 2 min read

A second lawsuit was filed against Fayette EMS, claiming a male employee harassed a female coworker and was not disciplined.

Elizabeth Lewis, represented by attorney Joel Sansone, filed the lawsuit in federal court, naming Fayette EMS and employee Steven Rugg as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, Lewis was a student/trainee of Fayette EMS in August 2018, and attended the Fayette County Fair as a graduation requirement.

As Lewis was walking to the fair, Rugg and another individual approached her in a golf cart and spoke to her before Rugg allegedly hugged her and forcibly held her while he kissed her on the neck, cheek and ear.

Lewis was hired to work for the ambulance service on Aug. 22, 2018, and the next day she reported Rugg’s actions to a supervisor. The suit stated Rugg was placed on leave pending an investigation.

In the complaint, Sansone claimed that Rugg was allowed to return to work on Aug. 28 without repercussion, which placed Lewis and other female employees at risk of a sexually hostile work environment.

Bob Topper, the administrative director of Fayette EMS, said the company does not comment on personnel and litigation matters.

Sansone wrote that Lewis suffered from emotional distress and fear of another sexual assault at work and ended her employment with Fayette EMS on Feb. 26.

In March, Sansone filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fayette EMS and Rugg on behalf of employee Jennifer Shaffer.

Shaffer, a paramedic and manager who has been with Fayette EMS since 1994, contended Rugg approached her from behind and slapped her on the buttocks with enough force to cause her to jump forward several feet. Her suit, also filed by Sansone, alleged that Rugg has a “proclivity to creating a sexually hostile work environment, including, but not limited to, defendant Rugg’s unwanted sexual advances toward co-workers, inappropriate language and touching.”

In that case, both sides have stipulated to an early neutral evaluation in an attempt to resolve the case.