CHARLESTON – An inmate at a West Virginia correctional facility is suing prison authorities, alleging sexual harassment and abuse inflicted by a correctional officer.
Heather Hayes filed a lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court against C.O. Syrus, The West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, and John Doe, unknown person or persons, alleging negligence, assault and battery and emotional distress.
According to the complaint, Hayes was sexually harassed abused, and exploited by Syrus at North Central Regional Jail in West Union, while he was employed by the facility as a correctional officer. The suit says supervisory personal knew about the defendant's actions and were indifferent to it.
The lawsuit states similar behavior has been going with another inmate and also was ignored, thus creating a pattern of sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation for some time, and for the future as well.
Hayes seeks fair compensation for damages suffered, including court costs, attorney fees and all else the court deems fair, plus a jury trial. She is represented by attorney Michael A. Woelfel, of Woelfel & Woelfel in Huntington. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Charles E. King.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 15-C-1444.