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Chesco woman claims sex harassment in suit
A woman suing her former employer for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation told a jury yesterday that shortly after she reported to a new supervisor in 2003, the man became "abusive and just plain mean" toward her.
Susan J. Seybert, of East Coventry, Chester County, said her ex-boss stared at her breasts during two office meetings, made a sexually suggestive remark to her at a company dinner, and frequently belittled and berated her.
Two months after she lodged a written complaint about Brett Marchand in October 2003, he gave her a "below expectations" job-performance review.
Under questioning by her attorney, Julie Uebler, Seybert said she "never" heard back from the company, the International Group, Inc., about the complaint.
Seybert sued IGI in federal court in August 2007, contending that she was canned in January 2005 because she had complained about Marchand's alleged sexual harassment.
She seeks back and front pay of $400,000 and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Seybert was a customer-support manager for IGI, a Toronto-based manufacturer of wax products. She was making $86,000 annually when she was fired.
Defense attorney William Wilson said in his opening statement that Seybert had not been fired because of complaints about Marchand and that there had been no retaliation.
Instead, he said, IGI was in the midst of a restructuring after acquiring a company in late 2004, and the company's supply-chain director, David Faoro, had been given a mandate to find a supply- chain manager without adding another salaried position.
Wilson said Faoro had determined that Seybert's position could be eliminated and that a new supply-chain manager could be hired. He said IGI still doesn't have a customer-service manger.
Wilson conceded that although Marchand had not been hostile and retaliatory toward Seybert, he was not "the perfect manager."
Seybert, 47, who has been married for 19 years and has two daughters, said she didn't think Marchand was sexually attracted to her. Marchand no longer works at IGI and will not testify at the trial.
Seybert said that after she complained about Marchand, he mostly limited communications to her in e-mails and group meetings.
Seybert said that Marchand had made the sexually suggestive remark to her as dessert was being served at a dinner during which 20 employees were seated around a large table. She said that Marchand, who was not seated next to her, leaned toward her and said: "Susan, I heard it's really good if you go down deep, into the chocolate, with your berry."
Seybert testified that she had been "mortified" by the comment and had gotten up and left the room. (Wilson said company officials had talked with Marchand about the comment.)
Wilson questioned Seybert's credibility on cross-examination.
Seybert said she had never seen Marchand stare at anybody else's breasts.
When Wilson asked if she had had a drink before the dinner, Seybert said she was "pretty sure" she hadn't. During a deposition in April 2008, Seybert said she probably had a glass of wine before dinner.
