A local woman has filed a federal hostile work environment lawsuit against Microtech Knives in Bradford, alleging she was harassed for being gay.

The woman, who is proceeding anonymously with representation by Philadelphia attorney Justin Robinette, alleged a hostile work environment based on her sexual orientation. According to the lawsuit, she was hired around March 2021 at the Microtech Knives location at 50 Foster Brook Blvd. in Bradford, working as quality assurance in the lathes department.

The Era reached out to attorneys for the woman and for Microtech to ask for comment; neither responded immediately.

According to the suit, in September or October 2021, another employee approached her and a group of employees and said a male coworker was interested in the woman; the woman replied that she was more interested in females. Two males in the group allegedly laughed, the suit stated.

She claimed one employee continued to subject her to unfair treatment and discrimination and sabotaged her work. She complained up the chain of command, and alleged that the male co-worker retaliated against her, according to the suit. On Nov. 10, 2023, the male co-worker “shoulder-checked and hurt (the woman) in front of several male employees,” the suit stated.

She eventually reported the conduct to a supervisor, and said she didn’t understand why people made things hard for her. The supervisor responded, “I could tell you, but you’d need a release” or words to that effect, the suit stated.

The woman quit that day.

In the lawsuit, she asked for at least $150,000 for back pay, overtime, benefits, bonuses, compensation, commissions and promotions she would have received, as well as for pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

The suit cited the Civil Rights Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and demanded a jury trial.

Microtech, represented by David Renner of Moon Township, has filed a motion to dismiss on failure to state a claim. The response indicated that just because the woman is a member of a protected class and something unpleasant happened to her in the workplace, doesn’t mean that it meets the standard for a lawsuit.

“Without any allegation that (a) someone similarly-situated to plaintiff was treated more favorably, (b) a discriminatory statement on the part of Microtech, or © there being any other evidence of a discriminatory motive to support her allegations, her complaint cannot stand,” Renner wrote.

No ruling has been made as of yet by Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.