Harrisburg, Pa.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – One of its own lawyers is suing the City of Harrisburg, claiming she was terminated for reporting what she felt was misconduct in internal investigations.
Emily Farren sued Harrisburg and Neil Grover, the city solicitor, April 20 in federal court. Farren was Grover’s deputy and investigated workplace complaints like sexual harassment and other human-resources issue.
Unhappy with the responses to her findings from Grover, she took her concerns to city leadership on Feb. 5, 2024, and again a month later. She was fired March 8, 2024, for “recent behavior,” the suit says.
“Defendants’ treatment of Plaintiff, including requiring her to attend evening meetings not required of other attorneys and threatening termination when she raised childcare concerns, reflected differential treatment based on gender and gender-based expectations regarding caregiving responsibilities,” Farren says.
Farren’s complaints include:
-Recommending the termination of a community service aide for sexual harassment, only for a final decision to be stalled for 10 months during which he received taxpayer-funded compensation and benefits;
-Allegedly being told by Grover “there is no rule against being an asshole” while investigating male police officers for harassment;
-Disagreeing with the termination of a female employee who had been fired for sick leave abuse while pregnant;
-Grover allegedly stating “women are emotional” when investigating a sex discrimination complaint by a retired female police officer; and
-Allegedly being made to represent the City at evening meetings on a regular basis while other employees did not have to do so.
She told city leaders that Grover was undermining her work and discouraging enforcement of anti-discrimination policies. Pennlive.com reported that Grover responded to Farren’s lawsuit on Facebook, writing “I hope she finds her place in the world, despite her inextinguishable unhappiness (which we endured daily) and her lost search for a professional experience that would make her personal judgments supreme.”
