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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Woman claims retaliation after reporting harassment in Afghanistan

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A woman's complaints of sexual harassment led to additional harassment at her job, according to a recently filed lawsuit.


Abi A. Mitchell Lee filed a lawsuit July 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division against ManTech Advanced Systems International.


In her complaint, Lee alleges she was working as a logistics analyst for U.S. Army Forward Operating Base in Marmal, Afghanistan, for ManTech beginning Nov. 16, 2012. However, she was discharged less than two years later due to events that occurred during her work for the company, according to the complaint.



In January of 2013, Lee's co-worker showed her a video depicting sexual scenes, the suit states. Following the incident, Lee made a formal complaint of sexual harassment, the complaint says. After an investigation, ManTech reprimanded the employee, Lee says.


Unfortunately for the plaintiff, the reprimanded individual had friends throughout defendant's organization that were not pleased with her for reporting him, the suit states.


From there, Lee was assigned to a dysfunctional site described as being in disarray, the complaint says. Despite the "total disorganization," however, Lee claims she began to make progress at the site.


In September 2013, the Army Program Office requested an inventory of the site. Before the inventory could be completed, Lee had to send a list of all inventory at the site, according to the complaint.


Providing a list proved difficult because of a massive supply of government inventory that was being shipped to her site, plus frequent power and Internet outages, a shortage of personnel who could assist her in processing the inventory and a discovery of previous incorrect inventories, the suit states.


A new site lead who arrived at Lee's workplace also discriminated against her due to her race, the complaint says. He began to take steps to hinder Lee's ability to perform her job, she claims. For instance, he accepted inventory without telling Lee that it had arrived, according to the complaint.


The site lead's behavior combined with that of Lee's co-workers caused her termination, the suit states.


Lee accuses ManTech of retaliatory discharge and says the company violated Texas Labor Code.


Because of her termination, Lee lost earnings and suffered humiliation, embarrassment, emotional and physical distress and mental anguish, according to the complaint.


Lee seeks back and front pay, lost benefits, actual damages, attorneys' fees, pre- and post-judgment interest, punitive damages and other relief the court deems just.


She is being represented by attorney Marrick Armstrong of Armstrong Legal in Houston.


U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division case number 4:14-cv-02159


This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.

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