DELTA, Miss. (CN) - The superintendent of Quitman County School District "forcibly raped" an employee, and then appointed his close friend as her new supervisor in an attempt to monitor and harass her, the alleged victim claims in Federal Court.
The plaintiff claims the school district was well aware of her complaints and prior lawsuit against Superintendent Valmadge Towner, but was "deliberately indifferent" to protecting her from further retaliation.
She claims her new supervisor, Ned Gathwright, "began a pattern of consistently harassing, sexually harassing, demeaning, threatening and retaliatory conduct in conspiracy with Superintendent Valmadge Towner."
She says she was forced out of her job as vocational secretary.
"No reasonable person ... would remain employed with the school district after being told by her rapist's cohort, 'we can do anything we want to you and nothing will be done about it,'" the lawsuit claims. Louis Watson of Jackson, Miss., is representing the plaintiff.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.