CHARLESTON -- Three women are suing Oxford House, one of its employees and an unknown person or persons in separate lawsuits, after they claim they were sexual harassed and abused.
Barbara Winkler, Candina Daniels and Kimberly Skeens all claim they were sexually harassed and abused while staying in the treatment facility for drug and/or alcohol addictions, by Antonio Russell, who worked at Oxford House, according to three complaints filed Dec. 9 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
The three women claim Oxford House had a duty to them to provide a reasonably safe facility and a duty to properly staff, hire, retain and supervise staff, as well as see that residents were not subjected to sexual abuse, sexual harassment and other such misconduct.
According to the suits, the women claim they suffered anxiety; humiliation; annoyance and inconvenience; invasion of privacy; emotional distress; pain and suffering; mental anguish; loss of their abilities to enjoy life; future medical and pharmaceutical expenses; and other damages.
The women claim Oxford House negligently failed to supervise and properly train Russell; negligently retained his employment; negligently hired him; and negligently failed to intervene on their behalf.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are all being represented by Michael A. Woelfel and Kerry A. Nessel.
Winkler's case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tod J. Kaufman, Daniel's case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey and Skeens' case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Louis Bloom.
Kanawha Circuit Court case numbers: 09-C-2254, 09-C-2256, 09-C-2258
Three women sue for sexual harassment, abuse at Oxford House
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