A fire chief’s alleged smacking of a female employee’s buttocks set back a South Jersey township $30,000, a newspaper reported Monday.
Medford Township settled a lawsuit in September that claimed Fire Chief Thomas Thorn sexually harassed former administrative assistant Lorie Cutts in front of two other firefighters in 2012, the Burlington County Times reported Monday.
Per the settlement, the township agreed to pay the fine through its insurance but did not admit wrongdoing.
Lawyers for the township and Thorn could not be reached for comment Monday. Cutts’ attorney told the newspaper the settlement was “voluntary” and agreed upon by both parties. Court documents say the defendants, which included Thorn and the township, “vigorously and wholly deny each and every allegation,” the newspaper reported.
In her 2014 complaint, Cutts alleged that Thorn inappropriately grabbed her in front of the two firefighters while walking outside the division headquarters on their way to lunch.