MOUNDSVILLE – A Moundsville woman says she was sexually harassed and assaulted by a Walmart employee in the store parking lot.
Jessica Corey filed her complaint March 3 in Marshall Circuit Court against Wal-Mart Stores East LP and Nicholas M. Ostrander.
According to the complaint, Corey was shopping at Walmart on April 29, 2021. When she finished shopping and went to her car, she says she realized she had lost her keys in the store. The manager refused to let her look for her keys but said he had an employee look for them. When she was told the keys hadn’t been found, Corey was told she had to leave the store.
Masters
| Courtesy photo
Corey said she was afraid to walk home in the dark, so she went to her car again to make sure she hadn’t overlooked the keys. Then, she says Ostrander, a Walmart employee, began walking toward her car as well. He said he was going to help her look for her keys, but he told him she didn’t need his help and asked him to return to the store. He refused to do so, she says.
When she reached into the back area of her car to look for the keys, Corey says Ostrander used his hand to grab and squeeze her vaginal area. She reported the assault to the tore and to police, and Ostrander was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and battery. He admitted he sexually assaulted Corey to the police.
Corey says she suffered pain, discomfort, emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, mental anguish and violation of and invasion of her right to be free of discrimination.
She accuses the defendants of negligence, premises liability, statutory human rights violations, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, sexual abuse, fraud and misrepresentation of security as well as statutory violations of assault and battery, battery and harassment.
Corey seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interests, attorney fees, court costs and other relief.
She is being represented by Marvin W. Masters of The Masters Law Firm in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Cramer.
Marshall Circuit Court case number 23-C-17