EAST ST. LOUIS – A former Cahokia employee claims she was wrongfully terminated after reporting alleged ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation by the director of public works.
Monica LaPlant filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the Village of Cahokia, former Mayor of Cahokia Curtis McCall, Jr. and Director of Public Works Kevin Wiggins, citing sex discrimination. According to the Cahokia Heights website, Wiggins is listed as the commissioner of the street department.
According to the lawsuit, LaPlant was hired to work for the Village of Cahokia in 2015 as the administrative assistant to the Director of Public Works. LaPlant alleges that in November 2017, Wiggins was appointed to the position and become her new supervisor.
LaPlant claims that as her supervisor, Wiggins subjected her to "sexual harassment so toxic that it created a hostile work environment."
The plaintiff describes a pattern of behavior by Wiggins, including offering her preferential treatment in return for sexual favors, which she refused; asking questions of a sexual nature while traveling to conduct site visits; unwanted touching; unwanted comments on her appearance in person and by text message; soliciting her and her friends for sex in exchange for money; and stalking her.
According to the lawsuit, Wiggins allegedly began a campaign of retaliation against LaPlant for constantly refusing his sexual advances. His alleged retaliation included verbal abuse; falsely reporting her to McCall for being late to work or claiming that she took too much time from work; threatening to write her up for any minor or perceived infractions; sending her home without pay; suspending her from work without pay; denying her allotted paid sick days; demeaning her in front of other employees; calling her into work on her days off without pay; and refusing to let her attend her regular doctor's appointment without requiring her to use a sick day.
LaPlant states that from Nov. 17 until the date she was fired, she reported Wiggins' actions to McCall on three separate occasions to no avail. She claims McCall never answered her repeated phone calls or text messages when she would contact him about the harassment, and he took no action to stop the alleged harassment by Wiggins.
According to LaPlant, in August 2019, she wrote a letter to McCall outlining the abuse and harassment she had suffered. McCall allegedly contacted Cahokia attorney Mark Scoggins, asking him to look into the matter. Following interviews with employees, Scoggins told the plaintiff that the harassment would stop. He allegedly added that if it didn't, she was to report the abuse to McCall again. Scoggins also indicated that Wiggins was not going to be punished for his actions, the suit states. At an employee meeting, McCall allegedly told the plaintiff that he talked to Wiggins personally and that the harassment would stop. However, the lawsuit states that Wiggins did not stop his pattern of harassment and retaliation.
The lawsuit states that on Aug. 21 2020, McCall placed both LaPlant and Wiggins on administrative leave with pay and that he had contacted Assistant Police Chief Dennis Plew for an investigation. Following an interview, LaPlant was allegedly told that nothing could be done unless Wiggins tried to rape her, the suit states.
Following the interview, McCall met with the plaintiff and told her that Plew's investigation was inconclusive. He allegedly told her to destroy all the evidence she had of Wiggins' harassment and "just block" Wiggins from her phone, according to LaPlant. He also told her that he was moving her office to Cahokia's Nutrition Center.
LaPlant alleges that when she reported to work at the Nutrition Center, she learned that she had been stripped of all her job duties and had no office or desk. When she contacted her new supervisor, Marilyn Stringfellow, for assignments, she was allegedly denied any work or instruction. While she was reporting to the Nutrition Center, LaPlant claims Wiggins would drive around the building slowly. LaPlant also claims Stringfellow told her that Wiggins was calling her on the phone to ask questions about the plaintiff. LaPlant further claims Wiggins began following her in his vehicle and would arrange to accidentally run into her around town.
On Feb. 3, LaPlant filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) against the defendants, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. She continued to report to the nutrition center during her scheduled hours despite not being assigned any work to do.
On May 4, McCall allegedly informed LaPlant that she was being terminated from her job effective immediately.
LaPlant claims that as a result, she has suffered "significant emotional distress, pain and suffering, mental anguish, inconvenience, humiliation, embarrassment, loss of enjoyment of life, and stress."
LaPlant is requesting the court enter a judgement in her favor, awarding damages in the form of lost wages and benefits, reinstatement, front wages, emotional distress damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, interest, attorney fees, court costs and any other relief the court deems proper.
She is represented in this case by attorneys Nicole A. Matlock and Sarah Jane Hunt of Kennedy Hunt, P.C. in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:22-CV-00976-MAB