{"id":2814,"date":"2017-09-20T16:39:41","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T20:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discriminationandsexualharassmentlawyers.com\/?p=2814"},"modified":"2019-11-26T17:21:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T17:21:12","slug":"pa-catholic-diocese-settles-sexual-harassment-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.discriminationandsexualharassmentlawyers.com\/es\/pa-catholic-diocese-settles-sexual-harassment-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"PA Catholic Diocese Settles Sexual Harassment Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"

PA Catholic Diocese Settles Sexual Harassment Claims
\nDuBois, PA<\/strong> –\u00a0Earlier this month the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania settled a federal sexual harassment lawsuit involving an elderly parish priest who allegedly sexually harassed a venerable employee of the Diocese. The woman, Plaintiff Kathleen A. Clement,\u00a0 filed her lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese and two of its parishes in DuBois back in May 2016.
\nThe priest, Defendant Rev. Daniel Kresinski, who is in his 70s,\u00a0 served at St. Michael the Archangel Church and St. Joseph Church, both in DuBois, Pennsylvania. Clement, who is in her 60s, was employed by the Diocese as a facilitator of religious programs for three parishes. In her complaint, Clement claims that she was sexually harassed<\/a> by Kresinski and that he repeatedly touched himself in her presence. She also claimed in the suit that his superiors within the Diocese did not stop his behavior despite her numerous complaints. Such inaction created additional liability for the Diocese and parishes involved.
\nAccording to the lawsuit, Kresinski\u2019s actions created an \u201coffensive, sexually hostile work environment<\/a>\u201d from March 2013 until Clement eventually resigned in October 2013. Her complaint states that she was \u201cforced to resign from her employment due to Defendants\u2019 failure to address or remedy the offensive sexually hostile work environment in which [she] was forced to work.\u201d
\nThe two parishes, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Joseph, claim that\u00a0 Clement only created the allegations in \u201cretaliation against<\/a> Fr. Kresinski\u2019s demand for greater accountability for Plaintiff\u2019s job performance and as a result of a salary dispute,\u201d and that, she later \u201cresigned from her position on her own accord.\u201d
\nWhile the details of the settlement cannot be discussed by the parties, Diocese\u2019s Bishop Lawrence T. Persico accepted the recommendation of the Clergy Review Board that the priest in question cease from public ministry \u201cuntil further notice for the good order of the church.\u201d Before that time, he had been on paid administrative leave after the federal suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Erie in May 2016.
\nThe church likely felt the pressure to settle after U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Paradise Baxter ruled against the diocese and the parishes motions to dismiss. Defendants claimed that Clement did not qualify as an employee subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/a>, which applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
\nIf you feel you have suffered sexual harassment on the job contact one of our Philadelphia sexual harassment attorneys<\/a> at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC today for a free consultation. Our attorneys have years of experience litigating claims of gender discrimination. Working together with our New York City sexual harassment attorneys, we have recovered millions on behalf of our clients who were discriminated against because of their gender. If you feel you have been discriminated against because of your gender, please give our attorneys a call at (800) 807-2209 for a free consultation.<\/p>\n

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Call today to schedule a FREE sexual harassment<\/a> or employment discrimination<\/a> legal Consultation in NY, NJ & PA with one of our top rated employment law or sexual harassment attorneys here at the Derek Smith Law Group. You can\u00a0reach us online<\/a>\u00a0or by calling <\/strong>. Our New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia labor & employment law attorneys handle a variety of cases involving sexual harassment, racial discrimination<\/a>, pregnancy discrimination<\/a>, and other employment-related claims. We serve clients throughout New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We also have offices in New Jersey<\/a> and Philadelphia<\/a> to serve you.<\/p>\n

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