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Former sheriff’s deputy files gender discrimination suit against Westmoreland County

By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

A former Westmoreland County deputy sheriff filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit in federal court.

Patricia Fritz of Mount Pleasant, through attorney Vicki Kuftic Horne, sued the county, its sheriff’s office, Sheriff Jonathan Held, Commissioners Charles Anderson, Ted Kopas and Gina Cerilli and county assistant solicitor David Regoli.

Fritz was hired to the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s office in 2010 and was promoted as the county’s first female chief deputy in 2014, according to the filing.

The lawsuit alleges there was “immediate hostility” among many of the deputies about having a woman being in charge of them.

“Not only were the male deputies furious that an older female would supervise them, but Chief Fritz enforced existing policies and implemented important policy changes in the department to improve efficiency and preserve the budget,” Horne wrote.

The complaint contended Held twice asked the county’s salary board for raises for Fritz so her pay was aligned with her male counterparts, but the requests were denied.

Horne also alleged that Regoli screamed at and threatened Fritz in an effort to get her to resign in 2018, accusing her of causing the county to incur lawsuits.

In August 2018, Fritz called the state police to report her county work car was stolen, but found out it was confiscated by the county due to an argument with another sheriff’s deputy.

Fritz received a letter from the county later that month about complaints she’d been physically violent, Horne wrote, and in October 2018, was notified her employment had been terminated. The suit contended Fritz received notice of her termination from the county one week after the media was notified she’d been fired.

Fritz is seeking compensation for past and future lost wages and benefits, compensatory damage for physical harm, mental anguish and harm to reputation to name a few as well as compensation for legal fees.

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