NEW YORK -- A magazine editor who says she was told to accept a supervisor's sexual harassment as "a challenge from God" has challenged her employer in a lawsuit claiming discrimination on the basis of gender and national origin.
Eileen Reinhard, editor of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association publications, says she was hired in July 2002 and immediately was "subjected to pervasively hostile and discriminatory treatment" from supervisor Michael La Civita.
La Civita, CNEWA's executive editor and spokesman, said Wednesday he was surprised by the lawsuit and denied the allegations in it.
"It's not true," La Civita said. "I'm just astounded. I guess anybody can attack anybody these days. It's disconcerting and upsetting. I'm just stunned by it (the lawsuit)." In papers filed Tuesday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, Reinhard says that during her second week on the job La Civita met her for lunch and "discussed his sexual proclivities and proclaimed prowess in graphic detail."
Reinhard's court papers say La Civita "continued to disclose to (her) all manner of details with respect to his sexual activity" though she asked him not to. Court papers say she was "embarrassed and discomfited by these unwelcome sex-based disclosures."
At a department meeting in October 2002, La Civita said that although Reinhard was his deputy she could not be left in charge of their department because she was "too Irish," court papers say.
Reinhard, 50, says La Civita would ridicule her for having an "Irish temper" or tell her Irish women are "the prettiest."
La Civita also told other staffers about Reinhard that he "had to get rid of her somehow," that she needed to "lighten up" and that she was "negative" and would not last in her job, Reinhard's lawsuit says.
When Reinhard complained to the CNEWA personnel department, court papers say, administrator Claire Klein told her "don't be a threat to him" and advised her not to file a formal complaint. Klein also told Reinhard that La Civita was a "man in pain" and to accept his conduct as "a challenge from God," the papers say.
On Oct. 27, 2003, court papers say, Reinhard was asked to resign, and when she refused, she was fired with no reason given.
Reinhard's lawsuit, which names the association and La Civita as defendants, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for financial losses and for mental and emotional distress and damage to her reputation.
On its Web site, CNEWA describes itself as "a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support." The organization says it provides religious, educational, medical, charitable and cultural support for institutions in other parts of the world and its publications report on these activities. Its official publication is ONE, the Web site says.
