Doe v. Schuylkill County Courthouse

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

JANE DOE, et al., : Civil No. 3:21-CV-477

:

Plaintiffs, :

:

v. :

: (Magistrate Judge Carlson)

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY :

COURTHOUSE, et al., :

:

Defendants. :

MEMORANDUM OPINION

I. Introduction

This case involves allegations of abhorrent workplace misconduct at the

Schuylkill County Courthouse involving alleged sexual harassment, assault, and

predation coupled with assertions of official indifference to the plight of the alleged

victims of this workplace violence. The plaintiffs, four Jane Doe employees of

Schuylkill County, filed this action against the County and several individual

defendants. Their claims stem from the alleged sexual abuse and harassment

perpetrated by County Commissioner George Halcovage over a period of several

years while the plaintiffs were employed by the County. The plaintiffs assert that the

County, as well as the individual supervisory defendants, knew of the sexual abuse

and harassment and did nothing to stop it. Instead, the plaintiffs contend that these

defendants retaliated against them for reporting the sexual abuse and harassment.

Pending before the court is a motion to dismiss filed by one of the defendants,

Doreen Kutzler, a Human Resources representative for the County.1 (Doc. 94). With

respect to Ms. Kutzler, the plaintiffs allege that she discriminated and retaliated

against them, and that she aided and abetted others’ discriminatory conduct in

violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (“PHRA”). They also assert that

Kutzler violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth

Amendment by subjecting them to disparate treatment and a hostile work

environment. Finally, the plaintiffs assert a claim against Kutzler for First

Amendment retaliation.

In her motion, Ms. Kutzler contends that the complaint is devoid of any

allegations that she aided or abetted discriminatory conduct, subjected the plaintiffs

to disparate treatment or a hostile work environment, or that she retaliated against

the plaintiffs for speaking out about discriminatory conduct. She also argues that the

plaintiffs should not be permitted to proceed under their “Jane Doe” pseudonyms.2

1 The defendants have filed five separate motions to dismiss, which will be addressed

in separate memorandum opinions.

2 We have addressed the plaintiffs’ use of pseudonyms in a prior Memorandum

Opinion, deciding that at this juncture, the plaintiffs may proceed under their Jane

Doe pseudonyms. (Doc. 123).

This motion is fully briefed and is ripe for resolution. (Docs. 96, 98). In

considering this motion to dismiss we readily acknowledge that there are factual

distinctions between the alleged role of Ms. Kutzler in this case, and the conduct

alleged against other defendants, male senior executives in Schuylkill County who

are alleged to have directly participated in or witnesses acts of sexual predation

targeting county employees. The legal significance of these factual distinctions,

however, is a matter for determination at the close of discovery. For today’s purposes

we must evaluate the sufficiency of the plaintiffs’ pleadings which describe

instances of alleged harassment, punishment, and retaliation targeting the plaintiffs

undertaken by Ms. Kutzler and others.

With our judgment confined to these well-pleaded facts, for the reasons that

follow, we will grant the motion as to the direct discrimination claim brought under

the PHRA, since Ms. Kutzler was not the plaintiffs’ statutory employer, but we will

deny the motion in all other respects.

II. Background

The factual background of this case is taken from the factual allegations set

forth in the plaintiff’s second amended complaint (Doc. 63), which we must accept

as true for purposes of this motion to dismiss.

George Halcovage was elected as a Commissioner of Schuylkill County in

2012. (Doc. 63, ¶ 45). At this time, Plaintiffs Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 were

employed with the County as the Tax Claim Director and Clerk Typist One,

respectively. (Id., ¶¶ 43-44). The complaint alleges that upon the start of his term as

County Commissioner, Halcovage frequently visited the Tax Claims Office and

subjected the female employees to unwelcomed sexual harassment. (Id., ¶ 47). This

harassment, which included discriminatory sexist and inappropriate comments, was

sometimes directed at and witnessed by Doe 3 and Doe 4, and caused them to feel

extremely uncomfortable, humiliated, and distressed. (Id., ¶¶ 47-48). The plaintiffs

allege that Glenn Roth, the First Assistant County Solicitor and Risk Manager, and

Gary Bender, the County Administrator, witnessed this behavior by Halcovage but

did nothing to stop it. (Id., ¶ 49).

Plaintiff Jane Doe 1 was hired by the County in February of 2014. (Id., ¶ 51).

According to the complaint, Halcovage visited Doe 1’s workspace often, which

caused her coworkers to make comments about Doe 1 talking with Halcovage who

was “a sucker for pretty girls.” (Id., ¶¶ 52-53). Halcovage began making unwanted

comments about Doe 1’s physical appearance, which increased in frequency and

intensity throughout Doe 1’s first year with the County. (Id., ¶¶ 55-56). These

comments about Doe 1’s physical appearance eventually escalated into more

forceful sexual advances, with Halcovage grabbing Doe 1 and kissing her after a

fundraiser that Doe 1 attended in late 2014 or early 2015. (Id., ¶¶ 57-61). After this

incident, Halcovage allegedly made comments to Doe 1 which she believed implied

that her job was contingent on submitting to Halcovage’s sexual advances. (Id., ¶

64).

Around this same time, Plaintiff Jane Doe 2 was hired by the County, and the

complaint alleges that she was almost immediately subject to unwanted sexual

comments from Halcovage. (Id., ¶¶ 65-66). It is alleged that these sexually charged

comments caused Doe 2 issues with her female coworkers, who either ignored her

or gave her one-word answers, which she believed to be due to her coworkers’

incorrect impression that she was in a relationship with Halcovage. (Id., ¶¶ 68-72).

The complaint further alleges that the plaintiffs witnessed Halcovage making

inappropriate and sexist comments about other female coworkers. (Id., ¶¶ 76-77).

According to the plaintiffs, Defendants Roth and Bender were present for some of

these comments but did nothing to stop Halcovage or inform him that his behavior

was inappropriate. (Id., ¶¶ 78-79). This led the plaintiffs to believe that any efforts

they made to report Halcovage’s conduct would be futile. (Id., ¶ 81).

Halcovage’s alleged sexual harassment of the Doe plaintiffs continued and

intensified. In 2015, Halcovage made a comment to Doe 2’s husband at a fundraising

event about “using” his wife, a comment which allegedly insinuated that Halcovage

and Doe 2 had sexual intercourse. (Id., ¶¶ 83-86). The complaint asserts that

Defendant Roth was present for this comment and later mentioned that the comment

made him uncomfortable, remarking that Halcovage “didn’t have to say it that way.”

(Id., ¶¶ 87-89). However, Roth did not report Halcovage’s behavior to HR. (Id., ¶

90).

Doe 1 and Doe 2 also attended a fundraiser in March of 2015 at Halcovage’s

request. (Id., ¶ 91). According to the complaint, Halcovage insisted he drive Doe 1

home after the event. (Id., ¶ 92). Upon arriving at Doe 1’s home, Halcovage was

verbally and physically affectionate with her, kissed her, and ultimately unzipped

his pants and exposed his genitals to her. (Id. ¶¶ 94-95). Doe 1 took this to mean that

Halcovage wanted her to perform oral sex on him, which made her feel overwhelmed

and uncomfortable. (Id., ¶¶ 97-98). Due to his position of authority over her, Doe 1

ultimately performed oral sex on Halcovage. (Id., ¶ 97). The complaint alleges that

immediately following this incident with Doe 1, Halcovage called Doe 2 demanding

to know where she was and who she was with. (Id., ¶ 98).

The complaint alleges another instance of sexual assault by Halcovage in

2018, where Halcovage took Doe 1 into the tax filing room inside the courthouse,

forcibly pushed her head down, exposed his genitals, and forced her to perform oral

sex on him. (Id., ¶¶ 109-12). While Doe 1 and Doe 2 consistently attempted to rebuff

Halcovage’s sexual advances, it is alleged that Halcovage also inserted himself into

their personal and family lives, particularly when they refused his sexual advances.

(Id., ¶ 101). The complaint asserts that Halcovage frequently made appearances at

Doe 1’s home late at night with alcohol or early in the morning, causing her to be

late for work. (Id., ¶ 104). Moreover, when Doe 1 rebuffed Halcovage’s advances,

Halcovage’s harassment of Doe 2 intensified. (Id., ¶ 119). The plaintiffs allege that

over time, Halcovage’s requests for oral sex turned into requests for sexual

intercourse. (Id., ¶ 116).

In 2019, Doe 3 became Doe 1’s direct supervisor. (Id., ¶ 142). In July and

November of 2019, Doe 3 twice reported incidents of Halcovage’s sexual

harassment to Defendant Roth. (Id., ¶¶ 145-47). According to the complaint, Roth

did not document the incidents, make any inquiries, or report the incidents to HR.

(Id., ¶ 148). Around this same time, Roth allegedly knew that Halcovage was

contacting Doe 1 and Doe 2 outside of work hours but did not report Halcovage’s

behavior to anyone. (Id., ¶¶ 154-55). In 2020, Doe 3 pleaded with Roth to intervene

with respect to Halcovage’s harassment, and Roth told her to take her complaints to

HR. (Id., ¶¶ 156-57).

Thus, in May of 2020, Doe 1 sent Doe 3 a formal email reporting Halcovage’s

sexual harassment and sexual assault. (Id., ¶ 159). This email was promptly

forwarded to HR, after which HR conducted formal interviews of the plaintiffs. (Id.,

¶ 160-61). One month later, Halcovage stepped down as Chief Commissioner but

remained in the Commissioner position. (Id., ¶ 162). At this time, the County put out

a press release stating that an investigation revealed that Halcovage had violated the

County’s Sexual Harassment Policy, the Conduct and Disciplinary Action Policy,

and the Physical and Verbal Abuse Policy. (Id., ¶ 164). This press release also stated

that Halcovage could not be removed from his position as Commissioner absent a

criminal conviction or impeachment. (Id.)

Following the Doe Plaintiffs’ reports of sexual misconduct, they allege that

they were subject to retaliation by Halcovage, the County, and the other individual

defendants. On this score, it is alleged that Halcovage was not removed from the

plaintiffs’ work environment and was still working at the courthouse. (Id., ¶ 167).

The County also permitted an employee of Doe 3 and Doe 4 to be relocated without

consulting Doe 3 or Doe 4, which impacted their job performance and was believed

to be done in retaliation for their reports against Halcovage. (Id., ¶¶ 173-74).

Additionally, while Halcovage was informed there was a specific place he could

park, Defendant Bender allegedly authorized him to park in the same parking lot as

Doe 3 and Doe 4. (Id., ¶ 177). Doe 3 and Doe 4 were also required to conduct an

assessment appeal hearing in the Commissioner’s suit, although they had requested

not to be required to work in that location. (Id., ¶¶ 178-79). Thus, Doe 3 encountered

Halcovage in August of 2020, which caused her emotional distress. (Id., ¶ 180-81).

The plaintiffs ultimately filed complaints with the Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and the Pennsylvania Human Relations

Commission (“PHRC”) in August of 2020. (Id., ¶ 8). In these complaints, they

alleged violations of Title VII, the PHRA, Pennsylvania common law, and Section

1983. (Id.)3

Following the filing of the EEOC complaints, Doe 3 encountered Halcovage

several times, after which she reported her concerns to Doreen Kutzler, an HR

representative for the County. (Id., ¶¶ 184-86). The complaint alleges that Doe 3

contact Kutzler twice regarding her concerns, but Kutzler never responded to her

email or took any action to prevent the plaintiffs from further encounters with

Halcovage. (Id., ¶¶ 186-87). Doe 3 also emailed Kutzler to set up specific times for

she and Doe 4 to come to the office so as not to encounter Halcovage, and Kutzler

again ignored her emails. (Id., ¶¶ 188-89). Moreover, while Doe 1 and Doe 2 were

working from home, they allege that they were not given the supplies they needed,

which hindered them from performing their job duties. (Id., ¶ 192). Additionally, in

October 2020, Kutzler and Bender engaged in contract negotiations with one of Doe

3 and Doe 4’s employees without consulting them, which led to more responsibilities

for Doe 3 and Doe 4. (Id., ¶¶ 196-200).

In October of 2020, Doe 1 again requested that she be given permission to

continue to work from home and provided with the necessary supplies to do so. (Id.,

¶ 204). This request was ultimately denied, and in November of 2020, Doe 1 and

3 These complaints were supplemented on March 16, 2021. (Doc. 63, ¶ 9). The

plaintiffs received their Right to Sue letters on April 8, 2021 and October 27, 2021.

(Id., ¶¶ 11, 13).

Doe 2 were informed that they would be required to work in the “410 building.” (Id.,

¶ 206). The plaintiffs brought concerns to the County regarding this work

arrangement, indicating that Halcovage could access the building and that there was

no parking close by. (Id., ¶ 208). The County had also arranged for Defendant

Bender to provide Doe 1 and Doe 2 with keys to their offices and to answer any

questions they had, but this arrangement was changed when the plaintiffs informed

the County that they did not want to have contact with Bender. (Id., ¶¶ 210-11). At

or around this time, Doe 1 and Doe 2 requested to use paid time off, which Kutzler

denied, informing them they could only use unpaid leave. (Id., ¶¶ 216-17).

Additionally, Doe 3 emailed Kutzler about the state and cleanliness of the new office

space for Doe 1 and Doe 2, concerns that were said to have been remedied but were

not. (Id., ¶¶ 219-223).

The harassment and retaliation of the plaintiffs allegedly continued into 2021.

Thus, on or about January 13, 2021, Doe 2 alleges that Halcovage was following

her, and she reported it to both Kutzler and the police. (Id., ¶ 224). Two days later,

Doe 3 and Doe 4 learned that Halcovage had been assigned a parking spot in the

same lot they parked in and that he had access to where they worked in the

courthouse. (Id., ¶ 226). Upon learning this, Doe 3 and Doe 4 opted to work from

home that day, and they were later reprimanded for this decision by Bender. (Id., ¶

227). They were further reprimanded by Bender and Zula for allowing their

employees to work from home. (Id., ¶¶ 229-30). Thus, in February of 2021, Zula

denied Doe 1’s request to work from home, even though Doe 3 had approved it as

her supervisor. (Id., ¶¶ 231-34). Additionally in February 2021, Kutzler permitted

Bender and Halcovage to sign up for the same sexual harassment training that Doe

3 and Doe 4 had signed up for, requiring them to adjust their schedule to go to a

different training. (Id., ¶¶ 235-36). At or around this time, Doe 2 had requested to

work from home, and Zula denied her request. (Id., ¶¶ 237-38). Additionally, Doe 1

and Doe 2 were not assigned parking spaces for the “410 building” and had been

threatened that their vehicles would be towed. (Id., ¶ 242).

Thereafter, on March 18, 2021, just two days after the initial complaint was

filed in this case, Doe 3 and Doe 4 received notice that their office was being

restructured, which resulted in a demotion and a decrease in their salaries. (Id., ¶

243). The restructuring of the office was voted on by Halcovage despite others

requesting that he abstain from the vote. (Id.) Moreover, the restructuring resulted

in Doe 1 and Doe 2 reporting directly to Defendant Bender. (Id., ¶ 244). In April

2021, Doe 3 and Doe 4 were issued written warnings for unprofessional and

inappropriate conduct. (Id., ¶ 245; Doc. 63-1, Ex. K, at 44-45). Then in May 2021,

Doe 3 was suspended without pay, which was signed off by Bender. (Doc. 63, ¶ 246;

Doc. 63-1, Ex. L, at 50). In July of 2021, Doe 2 was issued a written reprimand for

failing to report an absence from work. (Doc. 63, ¶ 247; Doc. 63-1, Ex. M, at 56).

Ultimately, in September of 2021, Doe 3 and Doe 4 were suspended indefinitely

without pay. (Doc. 63, ¶ 258; Doc. 63-1, Ex. N, at 58).

As we have noted, the initial complaint in this matter was filed on March 18,

2021. (Doc. 1). The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on April 16, 2021, and a

second amended complaint was filed on October 29, 2021, which is now the

operative pleading in this case. (Doc. 63). With respect to Defendant Kutzler, the

amended complaint asserts the following claims by the Doe Plaintiffs:

discrimination, retaliation, and aiding and abetting discrimination and retaliation

under the PHRA (Counts V-VII); Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection

violations based on disparate treatment and hostile work environment (Counts VIII-

IX); and retaliation in violation of the First Amendment (Count XIII).4

Ms. Kutzler has now filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the plaintiffs have

failed to state a claim against her. As we will discuss below, with the exception of

the direct discrimination claim under the PHRA, we find that the plaintiffs have

sufficiently stated causes of action against Ms. Kutzler at this stage. Accordingly,

the motion will be granted with respect to the PHRA discrimination claim but will

be denied in all other respects.

4 Count X was misnumbered as Count XIII. Thus, for ease of reference, we will refer

to the First Amendment retaliation claim as Count XIII.

III. Discussion

A. Motion to Dismiss – Standard of Review

A motion to dismiss tests the legal sufficiency of a complaint. It is proper for

the court to dismiss a complaint in accordance with Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure only if the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief

can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). With respect to this benchmark standard for

the legal sufficiency of a complaint, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third

Circuit has aptly noted the evolving standards governing pleading practice in federal

court, stating that:

Standards of pleading have been in the forefront of jurisprudence in

recent years. Beginning with the Supreme Court’s opinion in Bell

Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), continuing with our

opinion in Phillips [v. County of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 230 (3d Cir.

2008)], and culminating recently with the Supreme Court’s decision in

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, BU.S.B, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009), pleading standards

have seemingly shifted from simple notice pleading to a more

heightened form of pleading, requiring a plaintiff to plead more than

the possibility of relief to survive a motion to dismiss.

Fowler v. UPMC Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 209-10 (3d Cir. 2009).

In considering whether a complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief

may be granted, the court must accept as true all allegations in the complaint and all

reasonable inferences that can be drawn therefrom are to be construed in the light

most favorable to the plaintiff. Jordan v. Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel, Inc.,

20 F.3d 1250, 1261 (3d Cir. 1994). However, a court “need not credit a complaint’s

bald assertions or legal conclusions when deciding a motion to dismiss.” Morse v.

Lower Merion Sch. Dist., 132 F.3d 902, 906 (3d Cir. 1997). Additionally, a court

need not “assume that a . . . plaintiff can prove facts that the . . . plaintiff has not

alleged.” Associated Gen. Contractors of Cal. v. California State Council of

Carpenters, 459 U.S. 519, 526 (1983). As the Supreme Court held in Bell Atlantic

Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), in order to state a valid cause of action, a

plaintiff must provide some factual grounds for relief which “requires more than

labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of

actions will not do.” Id., at 555. “Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right

to relief above the speculative level.” Id.

In keeping with the principles of Twombly, the Supreme Court has

underscored that a trial court must assess whether a complaint states facts upon

which relief can be granted when ruling on a motion to dismiss. In Ashcroft v. Iqbal,

556 U.S. 662 (2009), the Supreme Court held that, when considering a motion to

dismiss, a court should “begin by identifying pleadings that, because they are no

more than conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” Id., at 679.

According to the Supreme Court, “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of

action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id., at 678. Rather,

in conducting a review of the adequacy of a complaint, the Supreme Court has

advised trial courts that they must:

[B]egin by identifying pleadings that because they are no more than

conclusions are not entitled to the assumption of truth. While legal

conclusions can provide the framework of a complaint, they must be

supported by factual allegations. When there are well-pleaded factual

allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine

whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.

Id., at 679.

Thus, following Twombly and Iqbal, a well-pleaded complaint must contain

more than mere legal labels and conclusions; it must recite factual allegations

sufficient to raise the plaintiff’s claimed right to relief beyond the level of mere

speculation. As the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has stated:

[A]fter Iqbal, when presented with a motion to dismiss for failure to

state a claim, district courts should conduct a two-part analysis. First,

the factual and legal elements of a claim should be separated. The

District Court must accept all of the complaint’s well-pleaded facts as

true, but may disregard any legal conclusions. Second, a District Court

must then determine whether the facts alleged in the complaint are

sufficient to show that the plaintiff has a “plausible claim for relief.” In

other words, a complaint must do more than allege the plaintiff’s

entitlement to relief. A complaint has to “show” such an entitlement

with its facts.

Fowler, 578 F.3d at 210-11.

As the Court of Appeals has observed:

The Supreme Court in Twombly set forth the “plausibility” standard for

overcoming a motion to dismiss and refined this approach in Iqbal. The

plausibility standard requires the complaint to allege “enough facts to

state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Twombly, 550 U.S.

at 570, 127 S. Ct. 1955. A complaint satisfies the plausibility standard

when the factual pleadings “allow[ ] the court to draw the reasonable

inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal,

129 S. Ct. at 1949 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S. Ct. 1955).

This standard requires showing “more than a sheer possibility that a

defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. A complaint which pleads facts

“merely consistent with” a defendant’s liability, [ ] “stops short of the

line between possibility and plausibility of ‘entitlement of relief.’ ”

Burtch v. Milberg Factors, Inc., 662 F.3d 212, 220-21 (3d Cir. 2011), cert. denied,

132 S. Ct. 1861 (2012).

In practice, consideration of the legal sufficiency of a complaint entails a

three-step analysis:

First, the court must “tak[e] note of the elements a plaintiff must plead

to state a claim.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1947. Second, the court should

identify allegations that, “because they are no more than conclusions,

are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” Id., at 1950. Finally, “where

there are well-pleaded factual allegations, a court should assume their

veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an

entitlement for relief.”

Santiago v. Warminster Twp., 629 F.3d 121, 130 (3d Cir. 2010) (quoting

Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1950).

In considering a motion to dismiss, the court generally relies on the complaint,

attached exhibits, and matters of public record. Sands v. McCormick, 502 F.3d 263,

268 (3d Cir. 2007). The court may also consider “undisputedly authentic

document[s] that a defendant attached as an exhibit to a motion to dismiss if the

plaintiff’s claims are based on the [attached] documents.” Pension Benefit Guar.

Corp. v. White Consol. Indus., 998 F.2d 1192, 1196 (3d Cir. 1993). Moreover,

“documents whose contents are alleged in the complaint and whose authenticity no

party questions, but which are not physically attached to the pleading, may be

considered.” Pryor v. Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Ass’n, 288 F.3d 548, 560 (3d Cir.

2002); see also U.S. Express Lines, Ltd. v. Higgins, 281 F.3d 382, 388 (3d Cir. 2002)

(holding that “[a]lthough a district court may not consider matters extraneous to the

pleadings, a document integral to or explicitly relied upon in the complaint may be

considered without converting the motion to dismiss in one for summary

judgment”). However, the court may not rely on other parts of the record in

determining a motion to dismiss, or when determining whether a proposed amended

complaint is futile because it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.

Jordan v. Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel, 20 F.3d 1250, 1261 (3d Cir. 1994).

A. The Defendant’s Motion Should Be Granted in Part and Denied in

Part.

1. PHRA Claims

As we have explained, the plaintiffs bring claims against Kutzler under the

PHRA, alleging that she discriminated against them, retaliated against them, and

aided and abetted others’ discriminatory and retaliatory conduct. See 42 Pa. Cons.

Stat. §§ 955(a), (d), (e). The PHRA makes it unlawful for an employer to

discriminate with respect to compensation, hire, privileges, or other employment-

related benefits against an employee because of sex. § 955(a). An “employer” is

defined under the Act as “the Commonwealth or any political subdivision or board,

department, commission or school district thereof and any person employing four or

more persons within the Commonwealth . . .” § 954(b). The Act further prohibits

employers and employees from retaliating against an individual who reports

discriminatory conduct. § 955(d). In addition, the PHRA prohibits employers and

employees from aiding, abetting, or inciting discriminatory or retaliatory conduct. §

955(e).

Thus, the PHRA recognizes four species of potential liability grounded upon

sexual harassment or retaliation in the workplace. First, an employer may be directly

liable for workplace discrimination. Second, “any person” may be directly liable for

retaliating against a person who reports workplace discrimination. In addition to

these two forms of direct liability, the PHRA also forbids persons from aiding or

abetting in either acts of (1) discrimination or (2) retaliation.

On this score, with respect to the direct PHRA discrimination claim, Kutzler

argues that she is not an “employer,” and since she is not an “employer” she cannot

be held liable under § 955(a) and (d) for discrimination or retaliation. For their part,

the plaintiffs contend that Kutzler can be considered a “joint employer” and therefore

liable under § 955(a). The Third Circuit has aptly noted in the past that, with respect

to these discrimination claims,

Generally, the PHRA is applied in accordance with Title VII. Davis v.

Sheraton Society Hill Hotel, 907 F.Supp. 896, 899 n. 1 (E.D. Pa. 1995).

Like Title VII, the definition of an employer under the PHRA cannot

be construed to include “employees;” indeed, “employee” is defined as

a wholly separate term under the Act. See 43 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §

954(b) & (c). The employment discrimination provision of the PHRA

declares only that “any employer” may be held liable. See 43 Pa. Cons.

Stat. Ann. § 955(a).

Dici v. Commonwealth of Pa., 91 F.3d 542, 552 (3d Cir. 1996). See also McIlmail

v. Pennsylvania, 381 F.Supp.3d 393, 415 (E.D. Pa. 2019) (“The PHRA is ‘generally

applied in accordance with Title VII,’ which exposes only employers to liability

while exempting individual employees. . .”) (internal citations omitted).

On this score, the plaintiffs argue that Kutzler has supervisory authority, and

thus, should be considered a “joint employer” liable for discrimination under the

PHRA. However, the plaintiffs have provided no authority for this proposition, and

an independent search has not yielded any caselaw in this circuit which would

suggest than an individual can be considered a “joint employer” of an employee.

Rather, cases discussing a joint employer relationship have almost exclusively

considered this joint employer relationship in the context of two entities, not

individual persons. See e.g., Faush v. Tuesday Morning, Inc., 808 F.3d 208, 215 (3d

Cir. 2015) (“Two entities may be “co-employers” or “joint employers” of one

employee for purposes of Title VII”); Showers v. Endoscopy Center of Central Pa.,

LLC, 58 F.Supp.3d 446, 456 n.7 (M.D. Pa. 2014) (“The court notes that two

corporations may also be consolidated under the ‘joint employer’ doctrine”); Myers

v. Garfield & Johnson Enterprises, Inc., 679 F.Supp.2d 598, 607 (E.D. Pa. 2010)

(“[A] finding that companies are ‘joint employers’ assumes in the first instance that

companies are . . . independent legal entities that have merely ‘historically chosen to

handle joint important aspects of their employer-employee relationship’”) (citations

omitted).

Accordingly, we are not persuaded by the plaintiffs’ assertion that Kutzler, an

individual employee, can be considered a “joint employer” for purposes of their

PHRA discrimination claim. Therefore, in the absence of any legal authority

construing the PHRA in this fashion, with respect to the direct PHRA discrimination

claim against Defendant Kutzler, we conclude that this claim fails as a matter of law,

as Kutzler cannot be considered a statutory “employer” under the PHRA. Of course,

as we discuss below, Kutzler may still be held liable under the PHRA for

discrimination against the plaintiffs on an aiding and abetting theory. Such an aiding

and abetting claim is expressly authorized by statute and encounters none of the

analytical obstacles which arise from the PHRA’s limitation of direct discrimination

liability to employers.

With respect to the retaliation claim, as we have noted, § 955(d) prohibits both

employers and employees from retaliating against an individual who reports

discriminatory conduct. 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 955(d). Indeed, the statute forbids

retaliation by “any person,” statutory language that is sweeping in its reach. Thus,

the plaintiffs must show that they engaged in protected activity, suffered adverse

action at the hands of the defendant, and show a causal connection between their

protected activity and the adverse action taken against them. See Fasold v. Justice,

409 F.3d 178, 188-89 (3d Cir. 2005) (noting that “retaliation claims . . . under the

PHRA typically proceed under the McDonell Douglas framework”).5 Here, the

plaintiffs allege that after they reported Halcovage’s conduct, both internally and to

the EEOC, they suffered retaliation in the form of denial of time off and denial of

requests to work from home. The complaint alleges that Kutzler was responsible for

ending Doe 1 and Doe 2’s work from home status and relocating them to the 410

building in November of 2020; denying Doe 1 and Doe 2’s requests for paid time

off in December of 2020; and allowing Bender and Halcovage to sign up for the

same sexual harassment training as Doe 3 and Doe 4 in February of 2021. In

addition, Kutzler is alleged to have been involved in pressuring a witness to sign an

untruthful statement in order to obtain a pretextual justification for terminating Jane

Doe 2. Thus, we find that the plaintiffs have adequately pleaded facts to state a claim

for retaliation against Ms. Kutzler.

Finally, with respect to aiding and abetting, typically “[a]n individual

employee may be exposed to liability under the aider and abettor provision only if

he acts in a supervisory role because ‘only supervisors can share the discriminatory

purpose and intent of the employer . . . required for aiding and abetting.’” McIlmail

v. Pennsylvania, 381 F.Supp.3d 393, 415 (E.D. Pa. 2019) (quoting Brzozowski v.

Pa. Tpk. Comm’n, 165 F.Supp.3d 251, 263 (E.D. Pa. 2016) (internal citations

5 McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973).

omitted)); Davis v. Levy, Angestrich, Finney, Baldante, Rubenstein & Coren P.C.,

20 F.Supp.2d 885, 887 (E.D. Pa. 1998) (“[A]n individual supervisory employee can

be held liable under an aiding and abetting/accomplice liability theory pursuant to §

955(e) for his own direct acts of discrimination or for his failure to take action to

prevent further discrimination by an employee under supervision”). However, “no

court has limited the application of the PHRA to a plaintiff’s direct supervisors.”

Pamphile-Clerfe v. Program For Offenders, Inc., 2021 WL 5311970, at *7 (W.D.

Pa. Feb. 23, 2021) (citing Santai v. Fred Beans Ford, Inc., 2011 WL 3606836, at *3

(E.D. Pa. Aug. 16, 2011)).

On this score, HR representatives who are alleged to have authority over

benefits, promotions, demotions, or terminations of a plaintiff’s employment have

been held to meet the definition of a “supervisor” for purposes of the PHRA. See

Wirtz v. Unisys Corp., 2022 WL 970843, at *4-5 (E.D. Pa. March 30, 2022)

(denying a motion to dismiss a PHRA aiding and abetting claim against two

defendant HR representatives). Here, Ms. Kutzler, the Interim Human Resources

Director for the County at the time, is alleged to have had authority over the

plaintiffs’ employment, as the amended complaint alleges that Kutzler denied

requests for paid leave and relocated Doe 1 and Doe 2’s workspace without any

interactive process or discussions with them. Doe 1 and Doe 2’s requests to work

from home were made so that they would not encounter Halcovage, and the

complaint alleges that despite Kutzler’s assurances, Halcovage could actually access

the building. It is further alleged that Doe 2 reported to Kutzler that Halcovage was

following her, and Kutzler took no action. Moreover, as we have noted, the

complaint alleges that Kutzler was involved in pressuring a witness to sign an

untruthful statement in order to obtain a pretextual justification for terminating Jane

Doe 2. The plaintiffs allege that these decisions which affected their work

environment aided and abetted the retaliatory and discriminatory acts of the other

individual defendants. Accordingly, we find that at this stage, the plaintiffs have

sufficiently pleaded a claim against Kutzler for aiding and abetting under the PHRA.

Accordingly, the motion to dismiss this claim will be denied.

2. Equal Protection Claims

Next, Ms. Kutzler argues that the plaintiffs have failed to state a § 1983 claim

against her for discrimination and creating a hostile work environment because of

their sex in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

To state an equal protection claim under § 1983, the plaintiffs must show “that

[they were] subjected to ‘purposeful discrimination’ because of [their] sex.”

Robinson v. City of Pittsburgh, 120 F.3d 1286, 1293 (3d Cir. 1997) (quoting Keenan

v. City of Philadelphia, 983 F.2d 459, 465 (3d Cir. 1992)). Thus, the plaintiffs must

allege “(1) disparate treatment in relation to other similarly situated individuals, and

(2) that the discriminatory treatment was based on sex.” Id. (citing Andrews v. City

of Philadelphia, 895 F.2d 1469, 1478 (3d Cir. 1990)). The complaint must further

allege “some affirmative conduct by the supervisor that played a role in the

discrimination.” Andrews, 895 F.2d at 1478. Thus, “[t]he necessary involvement can

be shown in two ways, either ‘though allegations of personal direction or of actual

knowledge and acquiescence.’” Id. (quoting Rode v. Dellarciprete, 845 F.2d 1195,

1207 (3d Cir. 1988)).

Further, a plaintiff alleging that a defendant created a hostile work

environment on the basis of sex must allege that “(1) [S]he suffered intentional

discrimination because of her [sex]; (2) the discrimination was severe or pervasive;

(3) the discrimination detrimentally affected her; (4) it would have detrimentally

affected a reasonable person in like circumstances; and (5) a basis for employer

liability is present.” Komis v. Sec’y of U.S. Dep’t of Labor, 918 F.3d 289, 293 (3d

Cir. 2019) (citations omitted); see Starnes v. Butler County Court of Common Pleas,

50th Judicial District, 971 F.3d 416, 428 (3d Cir. 2020) (“[W]e have been clear that

§ 1983 shares the same elements for discrimination purposes as a Title VII action”).

“[A] hostile work environment exists ‘when the workplace is permeated with

“discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult,” that is “sufficiently severe or

pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim’s employment and create an abusive

working environment.” ’ ” Starnes, 971 F.3d at 428 (quoting National R.R.

Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101, 116 (2002) (internal citations omitted)).

Moreover, it is well settled that “[t]he intent to discriminate on the basis of sex in

cases involving sexual propositions, innuendo . . . or sexual derogatory language is

implicit, and thus should be recognized as a matter of course.” Andrews, 895 F.2d

at 1482 n.3.

In the instant case, the plaintiffs assert that Kutzler is liable under § 1983

because she failed to address the harassment by Halcovage and actually fostered the

harassment by subjecting the plaintiffs to adverse employment actions. Indeed, it is

well settled that the failure to act may constitute “acquiescence” on the part of an

individual. See Robinson v. City of Pittsburgh, 120 F.3d 1286, 1294 (3d Cir. 1997).

However, it is also well settled that,

[W]here actual supervisory authority is lacking, mere inaction, in most

circumstances, does not reasonably give rise to a similar inference. As

a general matter, a person who fails to act to correct the conduct of

someone over whom he or she has no supervisory authority cannot

fairly be said to have “acquiesced” in the latter's conduct.

Id.; see also Ditzler v. Housing Auth. of City of Nanticoke, 171 F.Supp.3d 363, 367

(M.D. Pa. 2016); Festa v. Jordan, 803 F.Supp.2d 319, 325 (M.D. Pa. 2011).

However, as we have explained with respect to the plaintiffs’ PHRA claims, an HR

director has supervisory authority where that individual has authority over benefits,

promotions, demotions, or terminations of a plaintiff’s employment.

In the instant case, the allegations in the amended complaint relating to Ms.

Kutzler are materially different than those leveled against Defendants Halcovage,

Bender, and Roth, since it is not alleged that Kutzler directly participated in, or

witnessed, acts of sexual harassment. However, we find that the allegations against

Kutzler are sufficient at this stage to show that she “played a role in the

discrimination” and thus contributed to the hostile work environment the plaintiffs

allegedly suffered. See McCowan v. City of Phila., 2022 WL 742687, at *32 (E.D.

Pa. March 10, 2022). The amended complaint alleges that Kutzler knew of the

ongoing discrimination perpetrated by Halcovage and the other individual

defendants, and that rather than acting to stop it, she contributed to the discrimination

by failing to aid the plaintiffs and later punishing them in what is alleged to have

been a pretextual fashion. For example, the complaint alleges that Doe 1 and Doe 2

requested to work from home so that they would not encounter Halcovage, and

Kutzler was responsible for reassigning them to work from the 410 building. The

plaintiffs allege that Doe 2 reported to Kutzler that Halcovage was following her and

Kutzler did not report it. Kutzler is also alleged to have permitted Defendants Bender

and Halcovage to sign up for the same sexual harassment training as Doe 3 and Doe

4. Finally, Kutzler was allegedly involved in pressuring a witness to sign an

untruthful statement as a pretextual justification to terminate Doe 2’s employment.

Thus, these allegations, taken as true, assert that Kutzler had personal

knowledge and acquiesced in the discriminatory conduct that created a hostile work

environment for the plaintiffs, and actually fostered this hostile work environment

and discriminatory conduct by taking adverse employment actions against the

plaintiffs. At the pleading stage, this is all that the plaintiffs need allege. Whether

the plaintiffs can prove what they have pled must await another day. Accordingly,

Kutzler’s motion to dismiss these Equal Protection claims will be denied.

3. First Amendment Retaliation

Finally, Kutzler contends that the plaintiffs have failed to state a claim against

her for retaliation under the First Amendment pursuant to § 1983.

In order to state a claim of retaliation under the First Amendment, a plaintiff

must show: “(1) that [she] engaged in a protected activity, (2) that defendants’

retaliatory action was sufficient to deter a person of ordinary firmness from

exercising his or her rights, and (3) that there was a causal connection between the

protected activity and the retaliatory action.” Lauren W. ex rel. Jean W. v.

DeFlaminis, 480 F.3d 259, 267 (3d Cir. 2007) (citing Thomas v. Independence Twp.,

463 F.3d 285, 296 (3d Cir. 2006)). Stated differently, the plaintiff must demonstrate

that the protected speech was “a ‘substantial factor’ in the alleged retaliatory action.”

McAndrew v. Bucks Cnty Bd. Of Comm'rs, 183 F.Supp.3d 713, 731 (E.D. Pa. 2016)

(citing Gorum v. Sessoms, 561 F.3d 179, 184 (3d Cir. 2009)). If a plaintiff makes

such a showing, the burden then shifts to the defendants to show that, even if the

protected speech had not taken place, it would have taken the same action.

With respect to the third element, there are three ways in which a plaintiff can

establish causation for a First Amendment retaliation claim, showing, “(1) an

‘unusually suggestive temporal proximity’ between the speech and the alleged

retaliatory conduct;” (2) a ‘pattern of antagonism coupled with timing’; or (3) that

the ‘record as a whole’ permits the trier of fact to infer causation. McAndrew, 183

F.Supp.3d at 737 (quoting DeFlaminis, 480 F.3d at 267).

Furthermore, as we have explained with respect to the Equal Protection

claims, it is axiomatic that a defendant have personal involvement in the alleged

wrong in order to be held liable under § 1983, shown through specific allegations of

personal direction or of actual knowledge and acquiescence in the challenged

practice. See Robinson, 120 F.3d at 1294.

Here, we have already concluded that Kutzler had supervisory authority as the

Interim HR Director for the County. Moreover, as we observed with respect to the

PHRA retaliation claims brought against Kutzler, at this stage of the litigation, where

our evaluation is cabined by the well-pleaded facts in the amended complaint, we

find that the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Kutzler participated in some acts

that may be construed as retaliatory. Therefore, this claim also survives.

IV. Conclusion

Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, the Defendant Kutzler’s motion to

dismiss (Doc. 94) will be GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART as

follows: the motion will be GRANTED with respect to the PHRA discrimination

claim and DENIED in all other respects.

An appropriate order follows.

Dated: May 11, 2022

S/ Martin C. Carlson

Martin C. Carlson

United States Magistrate Judge