Madison Verizon Employee Says Coworkers Strung Noose Over Desk

MADISON, NJ - A 50-year-old African-American woman has been stalked, denied Americans With Disabilities Act accommodations and harassed at her Madison workplace due to her status as a woman and a minority – including having a noose strung up over her desk, according to a lawsuit filed against her employer, Verizon.

Marisa Powell, of Mt. Bethel, Pa., claims in a lawsuit that she has faced a myriad of discriminatory acts with no support or assistance that culminated in a noose made of wires being strung up over her desk last month.

“Ms. Powell has repeatedly sought assistance from her supervisors and Verizon’s Human Resources Department to no avail,” her attorney, Robert R. Fuggi Jr., said in a press release. “After the harassment, discrimination and intimidation rose to the level of a noose hung above her workspace, Ms. Powell realized that litigation was her only option.”

In an email to Patch Thursday, Northeast U.S. Media Relations for Verizon spokesperson David Weissmann said that the company does not tolerate harassment or discrimination.

"We received this litigation yesterday and are actively looking into these allegations," he said. " When discrimination or harassment comes to our attention, we investigate and take appropriate action. As this matter is subject to pending litigation, we have no comment at this time."

The suit said the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the incident as a hate crime, but spokesperson Peter DiGennaro did not confirm that.

Beyond the noose, the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the District Court of New Jersey alleges she suffered, among other things, the following:

• Stalking by her coworker at the Morristown Central Office beginning in June 2015 and refusal by her supervisors to transfer her outside of McHale's region.
• Interrogation by Verizon security shortly after accusing her alleged stalker of stalking her.
• In August 2017 a picture of a large-breasted, naked white woman was posted inside her workplace desk drawer with the message "Every Man's Christmas Wish!"
• After Ms. Powell returned from a medical leave and was assigned to the Madison office, her supervisors continually failed to accommodate her requests in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"Despite the advancements of the labor movement, civil rights movement, rights of the disabled movement, and the #MeToo movement, fundamental rights are still being denied to workers," Fuggi said. "For Verizon employees with a protected status, those rights include the right to work free from unjustified discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation. For these employees there are many wrongs, too long endured, that need to be abolished immediately."

Fuggi said in the suit that Verizon continues to turn a blind eye to their employee's plight.

"Dismissing complaints and continuing to employee these coworkers and managers who harass, belittle, antagonize, intimidate, and demean their employees regularly on the basis of gender and race," he said.

According to the suit, on Feb. 14 of this year Powell entered her workspace to find that
there was a noose hanging above her desk crafted from cable wires.

"Defendants, were fully aware of the fact that Plaintiff is an African-American woman, the history of African-Americans and symbols such as nooses, and the harm that would come to the plaintiff by hanging this noose for her to see," the suit states. "The mental abuse of Plaintiff by defendants proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer extreme humiliation and anxiety, severe emotional distress, nervousness, night sweats and mental anguish and other physical and psychological injuries."

In the suit, Powell claims she could tell the noose was purposely constructed outside of the office because wires of those colors are not used at the Madison office.

Powell claims in the suit that her supervisor downplayed the incident, looking past the noose and asking "What?" and "Where?" acting as if nothing was hanging in front of him and/or he couldn't see the noose. The supervisor finally acknowledged the noose, after the urging of Plaintiff, by saying "Oh this?" and claiming "It could be, but then maybe not," the suit says.

Powell’s suit seeks damages, costs and fees from her employer and fellow employees.

"'Empire' actor Jussie Smollet made headlines by concocting and staging a racially motivated attack on himself for the purposes of boosting his own recognition so that he could demand a raise," Fuggi said. "However, the real tragedy of that incident is that it downplays and overshadows the reality that thousands of minorities and people of color face serious intimidation and harassment each and every day."

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