A professor of Sussex County Community College is suing her institution claiming that she was sexually harassed and then denied a promotion and wrongfully dismissed by a superior when she refused his advances.
Darla Silverman is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the college. Silverman has named the college, its president, Constance Mierendorf, vice president, Harry Damato and associate professor of psychology, Richard Linden as defendants in her lawsuit.
Hired by the Newton school as an assistant professor of psychology in 2000, Silverman alleges that in the first two years of her appointment, Linden made several inappropriate advances to her. As she was not tenured yet and he was the only other member of the department who could have a say in whether she could get tenure, she did not confront him. She alerted Damato instead, who just told her to be patient with Linden.
In 2002, Silverman and Linden attended a conference together in Catskills during which they were given adjoining hotel rooms. At one point Linden entered her room and tried to forcibly hug and kiss her while telling her that he was in love with her. Silverman spurned his advances after which his behaviour towards her became very negative. He harassed her and humiliated her in front of students and colleagues.
Two of her colleagues who witnessed Linden's behaviour wrote a letter to the human resources department of the college in 2004. The former vice president dismissed the allegation and directed the pair to have minimal contact.
The injustice continued when in 2006 Silverman was passed over for a post that she was obviously qualified for. Later the person they hired quit the job owing to an illness after his first day. Silverman was then given the post but her designation was altered and she received less pay. She was classified as an executive assistant to the vice president even though her duties were the same as those of a dean. She took the job hoping to be promoted in 6 months to a year.
In 2007, Mierendorf became SCCC president but did not make Silverman a dean. In April when she resigned her post, the college made her former position a dean and hired a colleague of Mierendorf from Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County.
Darla Silverman is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the college. Silverman has named the college, its president, Constance Mierendorf, vice president, Harry Damato and associate professor of psychology, Richard Linden as defendants in her lawsuit.
Hired by the Newton school as an assistant professor of psychology in 2000, Silverman alleges that in the first two years of her appointment, Linden made several inappropriate advances to her. As she was not tenured yet and he was the only other member of the department who could have a say in whether she could get tenure, she did not confront him. She alerted Damato instead, who just told her to be patient with Linden.
In 2002, Silverman and Linden attended a conference together in Catskills during which they were given adjoining hotel rooms. At one point Linden entered her room and tried to forcibly hug and kiss her while telling her that he was in love with her. Silverman spurned his advances after which his behaviour towards her became very negative. He harassed her and humiliated her in front of students and colleagues.
Two of her colleagues who witnessed Linden's behaviour wrote a letter to the human resources department of the college in 2004. The former vice president dismissed the allegation and directed the pair to have minimal contact.
The injustice continued when in 2006 Silverman was passed over for a post that she was obviously qualified for. Later the person they hired quit the job owing to an illness after his first day. Silverman was then given the post but her designation was altered and she received less pay. She was classified as an executive assistant to the vice president even though her duties were the same as those of a dean. She took the job hoping to be promoted in 6 months to a year.
In 2007, Mierendorf became SCCC president but did not make Silverman a dean. In April when she resigned her post, the college made her former position a dean and hired a colleague of Mierendorf from Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County.
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