PARKERSBURG – A former American Red Cross employee says she was a victim of sexual harassment and disability discrimination while on the job.
Barbara A. Willis filed her complaint in Wood Circuit Court against American Red Cross Mid Atlantic Region and Anthony Smith.
“This is a case of a devoted, longtime employee who deserved better from the Red Cross and its leadership,” attorney Todd Bailess said. “Sexual harassment of any kind should never be tolerated in the workplace, especially at the Red Cross, an organization that is supposed to help others in the communities it serves.”
According to the complaint, Willis worked for the Red Cross as a Team Lead Phlebotomist from 2008 until her retirement in December. She worked under Smith, who she calls a known sexual harasser.
Willis says Smith would leer at her, invade her personal space, whisper in her ear, openly discuss his genitalia, unnecessarily try to be close to her, openly accused her of having “wild sex” at a planned event and asked her in a sexual manner to accompany him to the bathroom.
She calls Smith’s conduct sexually inappropriate, severe and pervasive, and she says it made her and her co-workers feel uncomfortable in the workplace. She says some of Smith’s conduct took place in front of Red Cross donors.
Willis says she reported Smith’s conduct to supervisor Angela Fisher on August 31, 2023. Fisher then contacted Red Cross Human Resources representative Anthony Kitchings. She says both Fisher and Kitchings assured her the reports would be taken seriously, but she says Smith was suspended for only two weeks.
When he returned to work, Willis says Smith continued to work with her and continued to create a sexually hostile work environment.
In addition, Willis says the Red Cross failed to provide her with a reasonable accommodation for her prolapsed bladder. She had two surgeries in 2023 for the issue, and her doctor placed her on light duty with a 25-pound lifting restriction. But she says the Red Cross ignored this request and required her to work in violation of this restriction.
She accuses the Red Cross of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, disability discrimination and failure to accommodate, all violations of the West Virginia Human Rights Act. She accuses Smith of sexual harassment.
Willis says she has suffered loss of dignity, embarrassment, humiliation, aggravation and emotional distress. She seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interests, attorney fees and court costs.
She is being represented by Bailess, Jodi R. Durham and Cory B. Lowe of Bailess Law Firm in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Robert A. Waters.
Wood Circuit Court case number 24-C-276