An East Haven town employee has filed a complaint against Mayor Joseph Maturo claiming that he sexually harassed her at work "continuously for years."
According to the complaint filed on behalf of Department of Housing and Urban Renewal secretary Francine Carbone, Maturo allegedly made inappropriate comments about the size of her breasts, would grab his crotch in front of her and once exposed his genitals and made a sexual remark while she was bending over.
“I was subjected to a hostile environment based on my sex, consisting of ongoing sexual harassment by the Mayor, continuously for years to and including May 5, 2014,” when she went on leave, Carbone alleges in the complaint.
According to the complaint, which is dated July 14, Carbone has worked for the town since January 1997.
Carbone also said the police chief had a conversation with Maturo about sexual harassment, but the mayor's behavior did not change, the complaint alleges.
“Mayor Maturo’s constant sexual harassment has made my working conditions intolerable and has caused me to suffer severe emotional distress,” Carbone says in the complaint.
The state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities forwarded the complaint to Maturo’s office on July 28 and notified the mayor that he has 30 days to respond in writing.
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Maturo called the allegations "unmerited and false," in a statement issued Thursday. He described Carbone as "a disgruntled employee who was on the verge of being terminated" and suggested that that may have motivated her complaint. He said he would defer to lawyers rather than comment further on the suit.
"Most importantly, I wish to assure the residents of East Haven that my team and I will not allow this matter to deter or distract us from efficiently managing the day-to-day business of the town," he added.
