LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Government is at the center of a new lawsuit.

A former legislative aide for Metro Council filed the lawsuit in Jefferson Circuit Court alleging sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, retaliation for reporting it and defamation.

The lawsuit names Metro government, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Deputy Mayor David James and District 6 Councilman Phillip Baker.

According to court documents, Shalanna Taylor worked for District 6, which is the Old Louisville area, until she was terminated in 2023.

Taylor claims Baker sexually harassed her on multiple occasions, including inappropriate touching.

The lawsuit claims inappropriate comments started upon their first meeting in February 2023 to discuss what her duties would be as he stepped into the council seat. Those comments included questions about the father of Taylor's child, and Baker bringing up "his 'concern' about people likely assuming that he and (Taylor) would be sleeping together because they worked together."

Also during that meeting, the suit claims Baker placed his hands on Taylor's thigh "at least twice" while they were talking and "scooted his chair up close" to her.

Taylor claims she told Baker over the next few days that she planned on leaving her role in August and that he responded "that he did not want (Taylor) to leave and hoped she would change her mind."

The next week, Taylor went to Metro Government's Business Office and reported Baker's behavior in an effort to "let Human Resources know what was happening to her." The suit claims that when asked who Taylor's HR contact person was for her position, the office manager, Edwin Ernest, said he was. 

Over the next few weeks, Taylor claims the "inappropriate incidents" with Baker continued, "usually involving unwanted, intimate touching" despite her comments to him about how uncomfortable it made her. She claims in the suit he then began to "mock" her about liking her personal space and would "manufacture reasons to 'accidentally' touch" her.

"I emphatically deny any allegations of such," Baker said in a statement to WDRB News Thursday night, directing any other questions or requests for comment to his attorney. 

According to the suit, Taylor yelled at Baker at one point during an incident to not touch her, and that she had told him "multiple times that he was not welcome to touch her."

Taylor later reported Baker's behavior to Deputy Mayor David James. During that meeting, Taylor told James she "wanted to leave her position because of it, but that she was at least going to stay until August." She also disclosed that she had alerted HR about the situation, but had not filed a formal complaint. 

The lawsuit claims Taylor later told James during their third conversation about Baker's behavior being unchanged that she had reached her breaking point and had begun to rearrange their schedules so they had little contact. She also alleges she told James she was trying to make the role work, but would "have to pursue a sexual harassment action" if Baker didn't stop. 

In April 2023, Taylor was told during a meeting with Ernest that Baker "would be going in a different direction" and that she was being terminated.

The lawsuit claims Taylor was not offered "any alternative placement" or help in getting another job at Metro government.

It also alleges there was a conversation between Taylor and James' wife in September 2023 in which Taylor was told that in August, Baker admitted to Mrs. James that he had fired Taylor at (David) James' urging. Taylor claims Mrs. James said her husband told Baker to fire Taylor "because she was going to file a sexual harassment suit" against him.

Taylor said that since then, she believes Baker and James have conspired to stop her from getting employment elsewhere. She also claims Mrs. James later discouraged her from taking legal action.

When asked for a request for comment from James and Greenberg, Kevin Trager, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, said James would be sending his own statement regarding the lawsuit. 

"I absolutely deny the allegations in this lawsuit," James said in his statement to WDRB. "I had nothing to do with Ms. Taylor's termination."

"We understand David (James) has denied the allegations. There is pending litigation on this matter, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time," Greenberg said in a statement sent to WDRB by Trager.

In August of this year, Taylor formalized a complaint to Metro HR and the Metro Ethics Commission. She was later contacted by an outside investigator for Metro government and was told they had been retained to investigate the allegations. But the lawsuit claims the investigator "made no attempt to gather any further information" from Taylor, aside from her sworn allegations. It also claims there are currently "no pending queries" from the investigator. 

The suit also accuses Baker of "falsely" telling people in the community that Taylor was fired for "refusing to do her job while still claiming her pay as though she had earned it" after the ethics commission complaint had been filed.

The lawsuit asks for Baker's conduct to be declared a violation of rights. It also seeks compensatory damages and other damages, including attorneys' fees and costs, as well as a jury trial.

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