KINGWOOD – A third former Preston County 911 dispatcher says she was subjected to a sexually pervasive and hostile work environment by other workers.
Natalie Flynn filed her complaint May 8 in Preston Circuit Court against the Preston County Commission.
“Natalie Flynn has joined two other women who are former Preston County 911 dispatchers who have filed suit against the Preston County Commission,” attorney Teresa Toriseva told The West Virginia Record. “Like the others, the lawsuit alleges that Ms. Flynn was subjected to severe and repeated sexual harassment at work.
Toriseva
“Women should be able to earn a living and work without being subjected to lewd behavior. When the behavior is repeated and not stopped, the employer is the problem.”
According to the complaint, Flynn began working at the county’s 911 emergency dispatch facility in November 2022. She says she had no prior experience as a dispatcher.
During training, Flynn was trained by Miriah Moury. Co-workers included Lindsey Pederson and Nicki Knotts.
Flynn says she was subjected to “a severe and pervasive sexually hostile work environment.”
“Ms. Moury made numerous inappropriate comments of a sexual nature toward Ms. Flynn,” the complaint states. “Ms. Moury’s comments were made on an almost daily basis. Those comments included questions about Ms. Flynn’s sex life and other sexually graphic topics.”
Flynn says Pederson and Knotts had several inappropriate conversations and behaved in a crude manner around her, and she says they made comments about another co-worker’s sex life, including alleged sexual relations in which she engaged.
She also claims Preston County Commission Administrator Lois Bulford made a derogatory sexual comment to her one morning before work.
Flynn says she reported the inappropriate conduct of Pederson and Knotts to Justin Wolfe, the commission’s assistant director. But she says she didn’t feel as if she could report the actions of Moury or Bulford as her superiors.
She says Wolfe had a meeting with her, supervisor Kendra Bourne, Bulford and Director Duane Hamilton.
“During the meeting to discuss the inappropriate behavior, Hamilton … told Ms. Flynn to ‘get thicker skin’ and refused to do anything about the work environment,” the complaint states. “Thereafter, defendant … began to retaliate against Ms. Flynn based on her reports.”
Flynn says she was required to work every weekend and pressuring her to work on her previously approved day off, sometimes asked to work on days she had requested off months in advance so Knotts could have the day off instead.
She says she was forced to leave her employment in April 2023 because of the work environment, mistreatment and retaliation. Afterward, she says the county tried to charge her $5,106.32 for training expenses reimbursement because she was employed less than a year.
Flynn accuses the defendant of violating the West Virginia Human Rights Act with sexual discrimination and hostile work environment, violation of the West Virginia Whistle-Blower Law, intentional infliction of emotional distress, unlawful retaliation, negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision and negligent discipline. She also filed a tort of outrage and to have the agreement that would have required her to repay training expenses be declared void and unenforceable.
She seeks compensatory damages, liquidated damages, interest, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Last year, two other former dispatchers filed similar lawsuits against the county. Those cases still are pending.
Like the other two former dispatchers, Flynn is being represented by Toriseva and Joshua Miller of Toriseva Law in Wheeling. This case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Steven Shaffer.
Preston Circuit Court case number 24-C-46