KINGWOOD – A former Preston County emergency dispatcher says she wasn’t treated fairly by supervisors, was subjected to inappropriate sexual conduct in the office and was a victim of retaliation.
Kasey Loughrie filed her complaint in Preston Circuit Court against Preston County E911.
According to the complaint, Loughrie began working for the defendant in December 2019. She had previous experience as a 911 dispatcher in another office. Because of that, she was told she would have seniority over another new hire. But Loughrie says she routinely was given less preferential treatment, including less preferred working hours and shift times.
Toriseva
She first was hired as a seasonal part-time 911 dispatcher, but became full-time after six or seven months on the job. As a full-time dispatcher, Loughrie says she earned and accumulated certain benefits not available to part-timers, such as leave hours.
Later, Loughrie requested a switch back to part-time status because of child-rearing demands. She says that request was granted, but she still worked hours similar to a full-time employee.
“The E911 worked the plaintiff as a full-time dispatcher, but only compensated her as a part-time dispatcher,” the complaint states. “Loughrie was not able to accrue leave hours. Additionally, Ms. Loughrie lost many of the hours that she had accrued as a full-time dispatcher when she transitioned into the supposedly part-time position despite her supervisors telling her that she would be paid for the accumulated leave over the course of several pay checks.”
Loughrie says she also was subjected to a “severe and pervasive sexually hostile work environment,” primarily by Mariah Moury who she says had several inappropriate and sexually explicit conversations around Loughrie.
Loughrie reported the behavior to supervisor Kendra Bourne, who told her she couldn’t do anything about it because Loughrie didn’t have any specific dates and times of the inappropriate behavior.
Over several months, Loughrie said she compiled a list of dates, times and names of those who engaged in the inappropriate behavior. She gave that list to Bourne, who then said again she couldn’t do anything because the video and audio cameras in the dispatch center were not working.
Loughrie says E911 Director Duane Hamilton told her to “grow thicker skin” and refused to do anything about the situation.
After that, Loughrie says she suffered retaliation by requiring her to find coverage for her shifts that she needed to take off when other dispatchers were not required to do so. She says she also was forced to work weekend shifts, subjected to last-minute scheduling changes and was written up for “frivolous infractions of policies.”
Loughrie says she was forced to leave the job in September 2021 because of the hostile work environment, mistreatment and retaliation.
She accuses the defendant of creating a hostile work environment through sexual discrimination, violation of the state Whistleblower Law, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent failure to pay wages under the state Wage Payment and Collection Act, unlawful retaliation and other state code violations.
Loughrie says she has suffered mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, embarrassment, indignity, shame, economic damages, diminished earning capacity and lost wages. She seeks compensatory damages for personal injuries, punitive damages, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Earlier this year, another former Preston County Office of Emergency Management dispatcher filed a lawsuit claiming she was subjected to inappropriate sexual conduct and retaliation after she reported her concerns to county officials. That case mentioned similar conduct by Moury and Hamilton.
The plaintiffs in both cases are being represented by Teresa Toriseva and Josh Miller of Toriseva Law in Wheeling. Both cases have been assigned to Circuit Judge Stephen L. Shaffer.
Preston Circuit Court case number 23-C-55
