Mt. Vernon dispatcher files sexual harassment lawsuit against town and mayor

A former dispatcher has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the town and the mayor.

Francie Hollis filed her lawsuit last month, alleging that a co-worker stalked her and has accused the town Mayor Jerry Lundy of making lewd remarks to her. Hollis told then-acting Joseph Cassidy Police Chief about the workplace abuse, but says he took no action against her harassers.

Her attorney Chip Herrington said, “My client tells me she was assured the problem would be dealt with. He basically pacified her and did nothing.”

Hollis’s Alabama sexual harassment attorney is seeking punitive damages.

Hollis began working as a dispatcher for the Mt. Vernon police department in 2009. Shortly after she began working a fellow dispatcher, William Cannon, began making advances. Hollis refused his advances but it did not stop the harassment, which eventually escalated to stalking. Cannon sent over 40 emails to her professing his love and went so far as to post love notes on a company bulletin board.

While she was enduring harassment from Cannon, Hollis says the Mayor Jerry Lundy made comments about his sexual desire for her. In one instance he made sexual comments in front of a witness.

Hollis told her supervisors about the behavior in 2009, but they did not take any steps to discipline Cannon. She decided to resign and retain a sexual harassment lawyer in 2010.

Sexual harassment can make the workplace very hostile. Employees rely on their supervisors to protect them from these abuses and when they fail to take action the victim has no other alternative than to hire an Alabama sexual harassment attorney to put an end to the misconduct.

Any person who has endured harassment and was later fired for reporting the behavior can turn to an accomplished sexual harassment attorney to seek compensation for lost wages and emotional suffering.