CHARLESTON — A former legal secretary says she was retaliated against, constructively discharged, harassed and subjected to repeated invasions of her privacy by the Charleston attorney for whom she worked for nearly eight years.
A. Rachel Cox filed her complaint November 26 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Carl J. Roncaglione Jr., a Charleston attorney who operates as a sole proprietor under The Law Office of Carl J. Roncaglione Jr.
Cox says that throughout her employment, which began around February 19, 2018, she was subjected to an increasingly hostile and abusive work environment that ultimately culminated in the end of her employment in July 2025.
She claims she was the primary professional employee assisting Roncaglione during her tenure and that she quickly became aware of what she describes as a volatile workplace marked by insults, slurs, degrading language and emotional abuse directed at employees, family members, clients and colleagues.
Cox claims she repeatedly attempted to address what she viewed as unprofessional and abusive conduct but was dismissed and belittled, including being reminded by Roncaglione that he had passed the bar and she had not.
Over time, she says she felt compelled to tolerate the environment to remain employed, the complaint states.
The complaint further alleges Cox later became increasingly concerned about what she believed to be unethical and unprofessional practices involving client confidentiality and billing, including the improper disclosure of confidential information and questionable billing and timekeeping practices that she feared could harm clients and her own professional reputation.
The lawsuit claims stress associated with Cox’s employment contributed to medical issues for which she began seeking treatment in 2023, a fact she alleges was known to Roncaglione.
On July 7, Cox informed Roncaglione via text message she was experiencing a medical emergency and needed to seek immediate medical care.
While she was receiving treatment and unable to respond, she says Roncaglione sent repeated text messages demanding updates and responses, without expressing concern for her health, according to the suit.
When she did not respond promptly, Cox says Roncaglione contacted her partner without authorization and later sent messages indicating he would treat her absence as a voluntary resignation and begin hiring a replacement.
According to the complaint, Roncaglione continued contacting Cox and her family members dozens of times over the following days, including contacting her son’s employer under false pretenses and later hiring a private investigator to go to her home and question her partner about her medical condition and employment status .
“Roncaglione contacted Elite (Elite Carpet Cleaning & Restoration in Morgantown) three times by phone, requesting to schedule a carpet cleaning, but only if he could speak directly with (Cox’s son), whose job did not include scheduling carpet cleaning with prospective customers,” the complaint states. “During the third call, Roncaglione left his cell phone number and demanded that (Cox’s son) return his call.
“Roncaglione’s bizarre conduct raised the suspicion of Elite’s owner, creating concern that Cox’s son was scheduling company work on the side for his own personal gain, and subjecting Cox’s son to unnecessary scrutiny, interrogation and humiliation as a result.”
The complaint claims these actions constituted harassment and intimidation. Cox says Roncaglione’s actions forced Cox to conclude she could not safely or realistically return to work.
On July 28, Cox sent Roncaglione a certified letter confirming what she describes as her constructive discharge as of July 15 and returning her office keys and access devices.
She also disputed the accuracy of her final paycheck, alleging it lacked a signed timesheet and that Roncaglione failed to later provide documentation to verify its correctness .
Cox is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages. She is represented by Jeffrey V. Mehalic of Mehalic Law in Morgantown.
In his answer filed December 23, Roncaglione denies the allegations and seeks to have the case dismissed. He is being represented by Mark W. Kelley of Ray Winton & Kelley in Charleston
Roncaglione received his undergraduate degree from Hampden-Sydney College in 1983 and his law degree in 1991 from the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University. He has been licensed for 34 years, and his practice focuses on construction law, bid protests, general practice and other areas of law.
The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Richard Lindsay.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 25-C-1411
