County seeks suit dismissal
Fayette County Prison officials are once again asking a federal judge to dismiss a suit filed against them by a former food service worker.
The suit was initially filed by Juliann Puckett in August 2015 alleging her rights were violated when a guard at the facility attacked her.
The county asked in January for that suit to be dismissed, but before action was taken on that request, Puckett filed an amended complaint, providing full identification of two corrections officers listed only by first names in the initial suit.
Attorney Michael Lettrich, representing the county officials and guards, contends in the latest filing that the case has still not been made that actions against Puckett were the result of official actions or policies.
Puckett contends a guard, Lori Chapman, assaulted her after telling other guards to close a gate between a control room and the kitchen and that the other guards egged on Chapman in the attack.
Puckett’s suit also contends she had filed complaints against Chapman prior to the assault and asked that Chapman be assigned to a different area to keep them separated, but those steps were not taken by the prison officials.
Lettrich contends failure to reassign Chapman was an act of omission by the county.
The case is before Judge Nora Barry Fischer in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.