Sheriff faces second Title VII lawsuit

By JERRY SENA

jtsena@wataugademocrat.com

Another former employee of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Mark Shook over the weekend — the second such suit within a month.

Former communications chief Patricia E. Shook, who is not related to Sheriff Shook, filed a complaint Friday with the U.S. District Court in Statesville. The suit alleges the sheriff wrongfully fired Patricia Shook last year after she gave a male subordinate an unfavorable employee review.

Patricia Shook had been with the sheriff's office since Oct. 1985 and was serving as its chief communications officer when Sheriff Shook fired her.

Patricia Shook alleges in the suit that Mark Shook warned her not to rate the unnamed male employee poorly.

“ [Mark] Shook advised the [Patricia Shook] that he would terminate her if she continued to report the male subordinate's poor job performance,” reads the complaint.

Subsequently, Patricia Shook claims Shook “frequently made negative, sexual comments about females working within the Sheriff’s [Office].”

Patricia Shook also claims the sheriff “demeaned her and other female co-workers” and tried to undermine her authority with her employees.

The lawsuit is the second to be filed with federal courts this month. The first came from former chief deputy Paula Townsend. Townsend claims Mark Shook not only terminated her wrongfully, but retaliated when she spurned his desire to carry on a sexual relationship with her.

Both Patricia Shook and Townsend have named Watauga County and an unidentified insurance carrier – referred to as “John Doe Surety” in the suits – as defendants as well.

Like Townsend, Patricia Shook is claiming the sheriff and county intentionally inflicted emotional distress, and subjected her to sex discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and disparate treatment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Patricia Shook is asking for punitive damages, back-pay with interest, and compensation for monetary losses, emotional pain and mental anguish, as well as attorney's fees and the costs of bringing the suit.

Phone calls made to Mark Shook and to county attorneys were not returned by presstime on Monday.