Opinion ID: 669656
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The 1981-1983 Events

Text: 9 From the time of Cornwell's initial orientation at MacCormick in late 1981, a number of the men on the staff expressed the view that MacCormick was not a place where women should be working. From late 1981 through early 1983, Cornwell was treated with hostility and subjected to various incidents of harassment by her coworkers. For example, they undermined her authority with the residents by refusing to cooperate in her efforts to discipline them and by referring to her in derogatory terms in their conversations with residents. She was regularly called names such as bitch, black bitch, or dog fucking bitch. 10 In the spring of 1982, when Cornwell applied for a change of shift or a change of unit, the hostility of certain of her coworkers, including Baleno, Felton, Brewington, and Hodges, became intensified. She testified that they verbally attacked her: 11 There were certain staff that just did not want me on the unit. I was referred to as a bitch. Of course, that was the primary one. 12 And then I was referred to as a dog fucking bitch, a black whore. The white guys called me a black whore. The black guys called me a black ho, a black stank bitch, a black stank ho, variations of, you know, things like that. 13 (Trial Transcript (Tr.) 1238.) 14 In August 1982, Donald Holly, a senior YDA who had acted as a mentor to Cornwell and a buffer between female YDAs and the men who did not want female YDAs at MacCormick, was transferred from the unit in which Cornwell worked to MacCormick's Central Service unit. Shortly thereafter, Felton told Cornwell, Well, now that the big black Don Holly is gone, now we will get the bitches out of here, we will show Steve [Centeno] and Joe [Maffia] that we don't need these bitches around here.... (Id. 1249-50.) On one occasion thereafter, Felton entered a room in which Cornwell and Holly were working. In plain view of Cornwell, Felton stripped to his undershorts. Holly reported the incident to Maffia. On another occasion, Holly observed Centeno turn[ ] his back side up ... toward [Cornwell]. (Id. 744.) 15 Other incidents included one YDA's throwing a bunch of keys at Cornwell, hitting her in the chest, Felton's threatening to kick her ass, and Brewington's shoving Cornwell when he thought she was lodging a complaint about him to a supervisor. On another occasion, when Fields, in the company of another employee, learned that Cornwell was on the other end of the telephone line, he grabbed the phone and made kissing noises into it, which he explained to the employee meant that Cornwell was to kiss his ass. On many occasions, male YDAs in Cornwell's presence would grab their crotches. Cornwell testified, they actually sneered and fondled themselves, and it was directed to me accompanied by 'bitch'. (Id. 1354.) 16 In October, Hodges sexually propositioned Cornwell. When she rebuffed his advance, he grabbed at her chest and ripped her blouse. Another YDA had to come to Cornwell's assistance. Though Cornwell complained to her superiors, Hodges was not disciplined. Yeres simply told Cornwell, if this ever happens again, I want you to take it outside the [facility] (id. 1258); and Centeno said, maybe there is some truth [ ] to this ... maybe we don't need women here (id. 1255). 17 On January 12, 1983, at the end of a special staff meeting, Brewington announced that the YDAs had all agreed to make lists of deficiencies in Cornwell's work, to be read at the meeting. Cornwell testified that Brewington 18 pulled out [a] list and he says, now, you know, we all agreed that we were going to make lists and tell Dorothea what she has been doing wrong, you know, because we have got to take care of this shit, we have got to get these bitches off the unit here, they are weak, and they are just bad, and they are making it bad for all of us. And then he proceeded to read all of these things about me, and when he got finished, I just sat there and I just tried everything to keep from crying. 19 (Id. 1277.) Cornwell testified that in response, she 20 was just trying to keep back the tears, and I had said that if I had done anything wrong, then I expected everybody to write me up. This was the first time that I had heard any of this stuff. I had not heard it. I did not have write-ups. 21 (Id. 1279.) Cornwell testified that when she tried to speak up in her own defense, her detractors persisted in talking about bitches [being fired], [that] they did not want any women up there on that facility (id. 1280), and that they were going to get me (id. 1286). 22 Just before the part of the meeting in which Cornwell was to be castigated by other YDAs, Maffia and Centeno had deliberately absented themselves, despite the urging of Cornwell and two other YDAs that they stay. Cornwell testified that when Maffia and Centeno eventually returned to the meeting, 23 Tom Baleno and Fred Hodges and Rick [Brewington] and Freddie Felton [were] standing up. I remember Tom Baleno and Fred Hodges coming toward me and saying we are not--we are not going to take her back. And I remember them threatening me. They were swearing at me and they had their fists clenched, and they walked around me, and I was crying. 24 (Id. 1280.) Holly, who had not attended the meeting but observed Brewington and Felton leaving it, testified that he saw Cornwell in tears and that he heard Brewington and Felton saying, inter alia, well, we got the bitch.... (Id. 748.) 25 Following that meeting, Cornwell sent Albrecht and Yeres a memorandum outlining what had happened and asking to meet with them. She received no response. 26 On January 29, 1983, while Cornwell was in the facility's gymnasium working with residents, Baleno deliberately and without warning hit Cornwell in the chest with a basketball. The blow knocked her to one knee and badly bruised her chest. When Felton shortly thereafter entered the gym, Cornwell heard Baleno say to him, I got the bitch. (Id. 1286.) 27 In the wake of this attack, at Centeno's suggestion, Cornwell took about a week off, during which time she was treated for, inter alia, high blood pressure and depression. Upon her return, she filed a complaint with DFY's Affirmative Action Office (Affirmative Action Office), alleging, inter alia, that her coworkers had sexually harassed her. The Affirmative Action Office made a preliminary finding of probable cause. Thereafter, DFY caused a task force to conduct a further investigation, which resulted in a finding of no probable cause to substantiate Cornwell's claims. 28 On February 26, 1983, Cornwell went on sick leave and eventually began to receive workers' compensation benefits stemming from the January 29 basketball incident. During her absence, she received psychiatric treatment for emotional problems, including depression and anxiety. In the meantime, Albrecht extended Cornwell's probationary period for 26 weeks, citing her difficulty in getting along with coworkers. He testified at trial that he did not know who was causing the difficulty. In November 1983, as described in Part I.D. below, Cornwell filed complaints with local and federal agencies complaining of employment discrimination by DFY. 29 On November 26, 1984, Cornwell's workers' compensation benefits were terminated. On receipt of verification by Cornwell's doctor that she was still unable to return to work, her employment was terminated on January 30, 1985, subject to reinstatement upon certification of her ability to return, pursuant to New York Civil Service Law Sec. 71 (McKinney 1987).