BY JENNIFER MALONEY
9:49 PM EST, January 22, 2009 An employee in the Islip Town Clerk's office has filed
a sexual harassment complaint against Town Clerk Regina Duffy, the latest development in a battle between the clerk and her staff since she
took office a year ago.
The employee, *******, has filed a notice that she intends to sue for sexual harassment, alleging in a court document that Duffy touched and kissed her, then penalized her when she objected.
******* also has filed her sexual harassment complaint with the state division of human rights, a state official confirmed.
Duffy, in a statement released by an Islip spokeswoman, denied ******* allegations. The statement said she would have no further comment.
A second employee, ******, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that Duffy has been pushing out older female
employees, according to ***** attorney, Eden Mauro of Syosset. Mauro did not provide a copy of the complaint, and the EEOC could not confirm or deny that it
had received such a complaint. Duffy declined to respond to a request for comment on that allegation.
The accusations against Duffy cap a year of labor disputes, disciplinary hearings and other conflicts in the office.
Four of Duffy's employees have been disciplined in the past year for missing work and showing up late, said John Burns, Long Island director for Teamsters
Local 237. He could not say if ******* and **** were among the four, and the town said it could not discuss disciplinary proceedings.
The union is also fighting a shift change that eliminated overtime for some employees in the clerk's office.
While Burns acknowledged that Duffy and Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan have been enforcing attendance rules after lax practices under previous administrations,
Burns said Duffy is an ineffective manager who has created a hostile work environment.
For instance, Burns said she has locked a side door so that employees who leave on break must re-enter through the main entrance, where their movements can be
monitored.
Duffy declined to respond to Burns' allegations.
Attorney Patrick Kevin Brosnahan of Babylon, hired by the town to represent Duffy, said the town clerk is "trying to bring accountability" to her
office.
"The new town clerk comes in and says we're going to shake things up a bit," he said. "When people face change of this nature, they
don't like it . . . Now, it appears as if employees are trying to bring frivolous lawsuits."
In a court document dated Dec. 19, ******* said that Duffy had sexually harassed her with "unwelcome sexual touching, kissing, and rubbing."
According to the document, ********* refused to participate and Duffy retaliated with "poor performance evaluations, suspensions without pay, the taking
away of vacation time and salary, increased supervision and a demotion of position responsibilities."
Brosnahan called the allegations "ludicrous."
"This is just throwing things up against the wall to postpone the inevitable" disciplinary proceedings, he said.
