POTTSVILLE, Pa. — A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing ex-Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage of sexually harassing female employees for years.
A ruling handed down Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom allowed claims that Halcovage abused, harassed, and retaliated against four current and former female county employees to stand.
The judge also allowed claims against other county administrators to move forward, which allege they helped retaliate against the four women after the group came forward to report Halcovage’s alleged behavior.
“In this case, we have no trouble finding that a jury could conclude that Halcovage, as the plaintiffs’ supervisor, engaged in a pattern of rampant sexual harassment of all four plaintiffs, as well as other female County employees, that was sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the terms or conditions of their employment,” Bloom wrote.
Halcovage disputes the legal claims against him. He and other county officials filed motions during the summer, arguing the cases should be dismissed.
Bloom’s ruling otherwise means a jury might decide the case.
Attempts to reach Halcovage were unsuccessful.
Four women filed a 75-page lawsuit against Halcovage in 2021 and alleged he started harassing them eight years ago. Things escalated from innuendo to requests for sex acts.
Women reported Halcovage for inappropriate behavior in the spring of 2020, court filings show. An internal investigation at the county concluded he violated county policy.
Court filings that cited a human resources report show Halcovage denied allegations but admitted others.
For example, Halcovage admitted he was in a sexual relationship with one of the women but stressed it was consensual. He also admitted he regularly text messaged another woman and showed up at her home uninvited but denied he ever propositioned her for sex, according to filings in federal court.
“(The women) further assert that due to Halcovage’s harassing behavior and their subsequent report of the behavior, they were written up, investigated, and suspended from their jobs, all of which detrimentally affected them,” Bloom wrote in a ruling.
The lawsuit prompted a settlement between the county and the U.S. Department of Justice. As part of a consent decree approved in January 2023, the county had to hire a consultant to propose improvements and develop a new sexual harassment training program.
"Today, by this consent decree, we emphasize that local governments must have comprehensive policies and training to prevent sexual harassment and retaliation by public servants," said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam at the time. "No official can abuse their power and position to a workforce they were elected to supervise, and this settlement provides steps the County must take to prevent and address this abusive behavior."
The commissioners voted to approve the consent decree during their January 2023 meeting, according to a copy of the meeting minutes. At the meeting, Halcovage, who resisted years of calls to step down after the allegations came to light, voted against accepting the decree.
“I am voting ‘no,’ but not because I disagree with everything in the agreement,” Halcovage said, according to the minutes. “To the contrary, I support all efforts to provide county employees with adequate training and to ensure that our county has effective policies in place. My goal has always been to do what is best for the county. I am also pleased that the Department of Justice will be ending its involvement in this lawsuit.”
“But I vote ‘no’ because the agreement assumes I acted unlawfully,” he continued. “To the contrary, I have denied the plaintiffs’ allegations. I want my chance in court to tell you what really happened. Confidentiality restrictions have prevented me from being candid despite my desire to do so, and this has been frustrating for me and my family.”
“By voting ‘yes,’ I’d be admitted to events that never occurred. I cannot ethically do that, and it wouldn’t be the truth. For that reason, I have no choice but to vote ‘no.’”
Halcovage’s term expired at the end of 2023.
