‘Stop Looking at my Penis’

CHICAGO (CN) - The owner of a trucking company exposed himself repeatedly to his finance director, and told her "to stop looking at his penis," she says in a complaint for harassment and retaliation.

Karen Loring sued Matthew O'Mara and Whimsy Inc. in Cook County Court.

"Plaintiff worked for Whimsy, which is a trucking company, from February 1997 until approximately April 23, 2010, as a dispatcher and most recently as its director of finance," the complaint states.

"On December 24, 2009, Mr. Matthew O'Mara, owner of Whimsy, walked into plaintiff's office and told her to stop looking at his penis. Plaintiff stated that she was not looking at his penis, and that she had no desire to look."

Loring claims O'Mara repeated the obnoxious statement "on other occasions" before he fired her.

Also on Christmas Eve 2009, Loring claims, "as plaintiff was walking into the garage to check on her vehicle, Mr. O'Mara came out of the dispatch office flapping an object from his pants, which appeared to be his penis dangling from his zipper. Plaintiff thought the penis was real, covered her eyes, and told him to put it away. While Mr. O'Mara was shaking the penis-like object in his hand, he told plaintiff to touch it."

The complaint continues: "Mr. O'Mara had exposed his penis to plaintiff on at least two prior occasions.

"Between December 2009 and April 2010, Mr. O'Mara called plaintiff a 'cunt' on more than one occasion.

"Plaintiff found the aforementioned harassment offensive and rejected the advances.

"This aforementioned conduct and remarks of Mr. O'Mara interfered with plaintiff's ability to do her job and created a sexually hostile environment.

"As a result of defendants' unlawful discriminatory conduct, plaintiff has suffered severe emotional distress, including constant anxiety, sadness, and nightmares."

Loring claims that O'Mara cut her salary "less than two months after she complained of the aforementioned sexual harassment, raising an inference of retaliatory motivation," and reducing her weekly earnings to less than $500 per week.

She adds: "On almost a daily basis between December 2009 and April 19, 2010, Mr. O'Mara yelled at plaintiff in such a manner that his face was bright red and the vein in his neck protruded.

"After the constant yelling, plaintiff's anxiety became so severe she requested a sick day on April 19, 2010.

"Plaintiff was terminated on April 23, 2010, for allegedly requesting a sick day."

Loring seeks lost income, future wages, and damages for sexual harassment, retaliation and pain and suffering.

She is represented by Mitchell Kline.

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