By Liz Zemba
Tribune-Review
GREENSBURG, Pa. — A former state corrections officer who is awaiting trial on allegations he sexually harassed and assaulted a fellow officer wants his job back, alleging in a federal civil rights lawsuit the corrections department believed his accuser over his denials because she is a woman.
Gary Robert Crayton, 53, of Farmington contends the female officer’s allegations at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette in Luzerne are false. He alleges the corrections department had no evidence to substantiate her claims, but gender discrimination resulted in them taking her word over his.
“Plaintiff believes that this employee was treated more favorably by the defendant in the investigation of the allegations because of her gender,” Pittsburgh attorney Joel Sansone said in the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.
Crayton, a 15-year veteran who was a lieutenant at the prison, contends he was forced to resign rather than be fired in March, eight months after allegations were made against him.
Although it is not noted in the federal lawsuit, Crayton’s resignation occurred the same month he was criminally charged in Fayette County with counts of indecent assault, harassment and indecent exposure. The case is pending trial, with Crayton scheduled to appear in November before a judge for a pretrial conference.
In the criminal case, Crayton is accused of repeatedly sexually harassing the female subordinate, beginning in 2008 or 2009. The woman alleges he directed lewd comments at her, touched her inappropriately, asked her to have sex with him and exposed himself to her while performing a sex act on himself.
The Tribune-Review does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault.
In the civil case, Crayton accuses the corrections department of implementing several “adverse employment actions” soon after he was accused, including changing his shift from mornings to overnights and relieving him of his shift-commander duties.
The department made the changes although it found nothing to prove the female officer’s allegations, “despite the fact that all activity in the facility is monitored by numerous surveillance cameras and personnel who monitor the cameras,” according to the lawsuit.
During a pre-disciplinary hearing in February, the department determined the woman’s allegations were credible and recommended Crayton be terminated, the lawsuit alleges.
Rather than be fired, Crayton resigned on March 20, according to the lawsuit. Crayton resigned one day after the criminal charges were filed, according to online court records for Fayette County.
Rhonda House, spokeswoman for SCI Fayette, said the department does not comment on litigation.
Crayton wants his job back with back pay, his suit says. As an alternative remedy, he seeks payment of lost wages and benefits.