The Record – Local Section
By Jim Nickles
May 25th, 2000
Ten women have filed a lawsuit against the San Joaquin Medical Society, accusing the manager and her husband of sexual harassment and intimidation. The women, all from the Lodi and Stockton areas, worked as telephone operators at the society and a related business, the Physicians and Surgeons Exchange. The two business, which serve as telephone exchanges for doctors, share an office at 3031 W. March Lane in Stockton said Michael Dyer, a lawyer who represents the women.
In a lawsuit filed in San Joaquin Superior Court this week, they accuse Michael Badley, husband of medical society manager Ellen Badley, of sexually harassing them in the workplace – touching them without their consent, telling sexual jokes, and making sexual gestures and suggestions. When they complained to Ellen Badley, she did nothing to stop the incidents and instead retaliated against the women, the suit alleges. Michael Badley apparently works at the society part time, Dyer said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Neither the Badleys nor their lawyers would comment on the lawsuit. “The worst part of it was when they complained, they were threatened,” Dyer said. “and the threats were carried through. Eight of the women no longer work there.” The Badleys fired them or pressured them to leave, he said.
The lawsuit names the plaintiffs as Amy Flores, Dana Isaacs, Jennifer Powell, Katrina Butler, Rochelle Ronquillo, Tina Tassano, Sabrina Kuntz, Lupe Dutra, Farida Ali and Krystal Jacks. “Several of these ladies have suffered some very serious damages,” Dyer said. “They are very mentally disturbed.” The harassment not only forced them out of their jobs, it caused family and health problems and even prompted some of the women to have to find new doctors, according to the lawsuit.
Several of the women had doctors who belonged to the exchange, and the doctors urged them to drop their complaints, Dyer said. “They all feel like they’ve been abused,” he said.
