POTTSVILLE, Pa. — In Schuylkill County, two women are speaking out against a county commissioner who was found to be in violation of county policies, including verbal and sexual harassment.
Those women say Commissioner George Halcovage screamed at them while they were at the county courthouse in Pottsville.
Mary Beth Dougherty and Dolly Malec were joined by their legal counsel, former Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman, as they spoke publicly for the first time about their run-ins with County Commissioner George Halcovage.
A county investigation found Halcovage violated county policy, including verbal and sexual harassment.
"And I stood there, and I thought, 'I don't believe this is happening to me. This is a county commissioner,'" said Dougherty.
Dougherty, who works for State Senator Dave Argall, was at the county courthouse in January of 2016. She said Halcovage asked her to ride with him in the elevator.
Once inside, Dougherty says he got in her face and began screaming at her over an email she had sent. When the elevator stopped, she says Halcovage wouldn't let her out.
"He very purposely turned around and put his foot out, no doubt about it, to block the elevator door, and put his arm across to block me from having to access to an exit."
In October of 2014, the courthouse received a bomb threat, and the caller mentioned Halcovage's name.
Malec was the chief detective for the district attorney's office and had to investigate.
"He got extremely angry when I mentioned that he may know who the person was or could have been something he did to upset someone. And he started screaming at me and said, 'I'm sick of this,'" said Malec.
Last week, Halcovage removed himself as chairman of the commissioners.
The women say that's not enough and, like others in the county, they say he needs to step down from office.
"A serial harasser, that's what he is, a serial harasser," said Dougherty.
In response to the accusations, Commissioner Halcovage has denied any wrongdoing.