A Montgomery County woman is suing over claims she was injured during a physical attack by a coworker which their employer ignored.
Michelle R. Purcell filed a lawsuit April 30 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Eric K. Shinseki, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, citing violations of the Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, Purcell experienced sexual harassment from a coworker at the Department of Veterans Affairs that culminated in physical assault on Aug. 9, 2012.
Purcell says the assault rendered her disabled by irritating an existing shoulder injury, and when she reported the above incidents and complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination to supervisors, the defendant allegedly dismissed the injury as arising from "horseplay."
Purcell is seeking damages within the jurisdictional limits of the court.
She is being represented in the case by attorneys Woodrow Epperson and George Crow.
Southern District Court of Texas Houston Division Case No. 14-cv-01182
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Southern District Court of Texas Houston Division. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.