MADISON COUNTY • A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday says a county board member pursued and sexually harassed a county employee, who was fired for complaining.
Kristen Poshard’s sexual discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, says that in May 2017, five months after after she was hired as chief deputy administrator for community development, board member Philip Chapman, of Highland, asked her to meet him at a Troy restaurant, where he made sexual comments.
Chapman continued pursuing Poshard, who is married, despite her rejection of him and complaints to county officials, including Kurt Prenzler, board chairman, the lawsuit says.
Chapman admitted to officials that he harassed Poshard, then claimed the relationship was consensual, the suit says. Prenzler and County Administrator Douglas Hulme discussed banning Chapman from county buildings, the suit says, but ultimately suspended and then fired Poshard, telling the media that she was under investigation and had concealed information from the public.
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The suit names the county, Chapman, Prenzler and Hulme.
Reached Tuesday, Chapman referred a reporter to his attorney and asked for a list of questions by email. He said, “I don’t know anything about that lawsuit, sir.” before referring a reporter to his attorney and asking for a list of written questions by email. He did not immediately respond to those questions.
Prenzler, in an emailed statement, said Poshard told him and Hulme for the first time on June 7, 2017, about her allegations. The pair escorted Chapman out of Poshard’s building, he said. Prenzler wrote that he asked for Chapman’s resignation, but Chapman refused. He also said Poshard “eventually refused to return to work” and the board unanimously voted to remove her.
