A former deputy has accused Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk Richard Rooker of more than a decade of sexual harassment and abuse.
The former employee’s lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the same court Rooker has overseen since 1993, when he took over upon the death of his father, longtime clerk George Rooker. The younger Rooker has since been elected to the post six times, including last year.
According to the lawsuit, Karen Mallory was hired as a deputy clerk in 2005, and about a year later, Rooker summoned her to his office for a meeting. At the meeting, the lawsuit alleges, Rooker “unexpectedly, astonishingly and outrageously requested Mallory to kiss him.” She “reluctantly complied” because Rooker was her supervisor, and “she honestly thought at the time there were no other alternatives available.”
According to the suit, the court clerk then forced the plaintiff to perform oral sex. Similar events occurred about once per week until February of last year, the lawsuit says. In addition to oral sex, Rooker allegedly required Mallory to perform sexual intercourse on at least two occasions.
“It’s a very sad day,” a Rooker spokesperson wrote via email. “The accounts set forth in the lawsuit are not accurate.”
The spokesperson referred further comment to Rooker’s personal attorney, Hal Hardin. Hardin, a former U.S. attorney and Circuit Court judge, said Rooker was "quite surprised" by the complaint, and that he anticipates filing a response "very shortly."
Metro government is included as a co-defendant in the suit. Metro legal director Jon Cooper declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The plaintiff alleges that the “hostile sexual harassment work environment … caused her discharge to be early,” leading to reduced pension payments. Additionally, she says she has sought professional treatment for the resultant “severe and disabling psychological and physical injuries.”
The lawsuit demands a jury trial, plus $1 million in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages. The plaintiff is represented by Nashville attorney Steve Stephenson, who declined to comment beyond the allegations made in the complaint.
“Metro Government takes all such concerns seriously, and the Personnel Committee in particular focuses on legislation and other actions to ensure that all Metro Government employees feel safe and respected in the workplace,” says Metro Councilmember Brett Withers, who chairs the council’s personnel and human relations committee. Withers added that the matter is being reviewed by the Metro Legal Department and that he could not comment further.
