Woman sues Jaxport and USSA with sexual harassment, gender discrimination case

The Jacksonville Port Authority and U.S. Security Associates are two of five defendants named in a lawsuit claiming sexual harassment and assault against a female employee.

The documents state the plaintiff is a current employee of USSA. She also worked for Jaxport when the company was contracted through USSA in 2015.

The lawsuit targets two former employees from Jaxport, who were superiors at the time of the plaintiff’s employment with the company, as well as, a current USSA employee, who was the plaintiff’s direct supervisor. She claims they sexually harassed and assaulted her from 2015 to 2017.

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Documents also state the plaintiff is suing Jaxport and USSA for gender discrimination and a hostile work environment.

The plaintiff claims one of the Jaxport employees made sexual advances toward her after she applied for a promotion. Documents state she repeatedly told him she was not comfortable, but claims he would get her a promotion in return for a sexual encounter.

Around the same time, the plaintiff claims another Jaxport Director made unwelcomed sexual advances by touching her inappropriately. Shortly after, this director promoted the plaintiff to Communications Center Manager.

She also claims the defendant threatened to take the promotion away if she did not fulfill sexual actions with him.

About one year later in 2016, the plaintiff claims another employee forcibly pulled her inside his truck and sexually assaulted her. After an anonymous letter was sent to Jaxport detailing misconduct, the plaintiff claims she was “admonished” by one of the defendants not to tell anyone about his misconduct. He later resigned in March 2017, according the lawsuit.

Documents state the plaintiff was forced to resign in May 2017 from her new position as Communications Manager.

The plaintiff’s attorney gave a statement to Action News Jax that said, “The conduct that was experienced by the plaintiff is indicative of a culture of Sexual Harassment at Jaxport. Such conduct cannot be tolerated.”

Jaxport CEO Eric Green read a statement in response to the lawsuit at a board meeting Monday morning reinforcing a zero-tolerance policy against workforce harassment of any kind.

"Jaxport's longstanding policy strictly prohibits supervisors from using their authority to intimidate, coerce or harass anyone during the course of their work,” Green said. “Every Jaxport employee is required to pledge that they have read and thoroughly understand this policy and must go through anti-harassment training regularly. I take these allegations very seriously and will not tolerate improper workplace behavior.”

Cox Media Group