"Ex-airport worker drops sexual harassment suit"

Tuesday, January 23, 2001

Ex-airport worker drops suit
City agrees to $18,000 settlement with former Augusta Regional employee in
harassment case
By Sandy Hodson
The Augusta (GA) Chronicle


With an $18,000 settlement offer, a former Augusta Regional airport employee
who alleged sexual harassment has dropped her federal lawsuit.

Lilian A. Brown filed suit in U.S. District Court in October, alleging she
was fired in retaliation for joining in the complaints that female employees
were subjected to sexual harassment under the leadership of former airport
Director Al McDill. Mr. McDill was fired in March for what the Augusta
Aviation Commission called ``philosophical differences.''

On Monday, Ms. Brown's attorney John Long said the lawsuit was voluntarily
withdrawn Jan. 10 because the city agreed to pay an $18,000 settlement.

Augusta attorney James Wall said Monday that the city settled without an
admission of fault by the defendants.

In the lawsuit, Ms. Brown alleged sexual harassment and discrimination was
widespread under Mr. McDill's leadership, and that it was tolerated even
after she voiced complaints to supervisors and to the former city's human
resources director, John Etheridge.

The lawsuit cites one particular incident when she meet with Mr. McDill and
Mr. Etheridge in July 1998. Ms. Brown alleged Mr. McDill was verbally
abusive to her after she asked for a copy of a written reprimand that
supervisor William Thompson was to receive.

Ms. Brown further alleged that after that meeting, Mr. Thompson began
harassing her and selectively enforcing rules against her because she is a
woman. The lawsuit, supported by a ``right to sue'' letter from the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, contended Ms. Brown was discharged on a
pretext Aug. 1, 1999.

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