Defendant in Sex Harass Case Against Maturo Loses Court Motion

EAST HAVEN, CT - A former employee of East Haven town keeps trying to have her sex harassment lawsuit against the mayor be heard in front of a jury and not a judge but she keeps losing.

Francine Carbone had previously lost a motion to have her trial, not slated for September, to be heard by a jury not a judge. But a lawyer for her had a submitted a motion for reconsideration of that earlier decision.

A lawyer for Maturo objected to that motion and on Monday, the judge agreed with Maturo, again, and the trial is still slated to be heard in front of a judge not a jury.

The three-year-old lawsuit charges Maturo with sexually harassing a former employee was scheduled to be heard by a judge in Superior Court in New Haven starting in late June but was delayed when the defendant late in filed a motion asking for a hearing to request that the case be heard by a jury not a judge.

In 2015, former Town Hall secretary Carbone filed a lawsuit, claiming she faced a continual pattern of harassment from Maturo, including inappropriate remarks and obscene gestures, since her employment began in January 1997. During one incident in 2013, Carbone claims Maturo exposed himself in her office.

From Jan. 25, 1997, to Oct. 17, 2014, Carbone was employed by the town. In October of 2014 she was fired.
According to the lawsuit, Maturo continually made comments regarding Carbone's body.

One of the comments was made on Carbone's last day before a Family and Medical Leave Act rights leave.
The complaint also alleges that Maturo grabbed his crotch in front of Carbone and in front of a town official.

The incident that Carbone first made involved Maturo allegedly exposing himself to her while she bent down to file documents in a cabinet. Carbone alleges that Maturo's behavior made her working conditions "intolerable," causing "severe emotional distress."

Carbone also filed a Family Medical Leave Act lawsuit, alleging the Maturo administration retaliated against her for taking medical leave.

She lost that case.

Maturo has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit frivilous and without merit, stating he is confident that he will be vindicated in court.

Carbone is asking the court for judgement in amount greater than $15,000; compensatory and punitive damages; attorney fees; and to be reinstated to her old job with back pack and benefits.