Allegheny County Courthouse
PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh personal injury law firm faces a lawsuit from a paralegal who claims she was fired for reporting sexual harassment by one of the lawyers there.
Teela Madden filed suit May 14 in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against Pittsburgh Injury Lawyers - a firm focused on car wreck, slip-and-fall and medical malpractice cases, among others.
At issue is the treatment of Madden by John Lewis, Jr., who allegedly would objectify Madden with looks and comments during her seven months on the job.
"This is what systemic inequality looks like: A young woman, passionate about her work and eager to learn, working hard and contributing meaningfully - only to have her talents ignored and her boundaries violated," Madden's lawyer Michael Bruzzese told the Pennsylvania Record.
"She was viewed as nothing more than an object to be used and discarded once she refused to fawn in the face of rampant sexual harassment."
That allegedly came in the form of unwelcome sexual comments, like Lewis calling her "babe" and "beautiful." The complaint also claims Lewis would try to look down her blouse so often that she stopped wearing clothing that would reveal any cleavage.
Long phone conversations after work are also alleged to have unnerved Madden, like a four-hour call in February 2024 during which Lewis invited her to stay the night of Super Bowl Sunday at his house.
Lewis was frustrated when Madden wouldn't answer questions about her social life, the suit claims, and was pressured by him to work in the office instead of remotely. "His excuse was 'we are social creatures, we need to be together,'" the suit says.
"Often times, while the plaintiff was at work, Lewis would require her to sit in his office to do her work there. He would sit behind his desk, not doing anything; he just watched her the entire time."
Lewis denied comment to the Pennsylvania Record. He has run afoul of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel in the past, leading to multiple probationary periods and a one-year suspension of his law license for Driving Under the Influence convictions and probation violations for drinking alcohol.
Madden says she told Lewis she wasn't at work to be his "girlfriend" but was met with comments about how the firm needs another paralegal. She says she feared she would be fired for reporting his behavior.
Ultimately, she did complain to firm owner Michael Boland and in February 2024, left the office because "Lewis kept flirting with her and interfering with her ability to get the work done," the complaint says.
Boland asked why she left, and Madden responded that Lewis was getting "too personal." Boland sent a complaint/concern form so PIL could conduct an investigation. Madden says the investigation did nothing and she learned in March 2024 a new paralegal had been hired.
Frustrated over the next month, Madden requested a termination letter, telling Boland "You guys are dead wrong for this." She claims Boland, who asked for specifics on why she left that day in February, masked her termination as a voluntary resignation.
"That this happened within a law firm makes it all the more disturbing," said Bruzzese, Madden's lawyer. "This isn't just misconduct; it's a stain on the legal profession."
