Cierra Butler, a lesbian in Reading Pa., has filed a federal lawsuit against Materion Technical Materials Inc., claiming she was fired from her job as a machine operator due to her sexual orientation.
Materion is a multinational company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Materion has 32 locations worldwide, serving 66 countries with a workforce of 3,700 employees. It produces metals, copper alloys, chemicals and other products for various industries, including telecommunications, aerospace and defense.
Butler worked in Materion’s facility in Leesport, Pa. She was hired in August 2022 as a machine operator — a job that included operating a furnace to alter the physical properties of various metals.
“[Butler] was qualified for her position with [Materion] and performed her job duties without issue,” according to Butler’s 13-page lawsuit, filed on Oct. 3 in Philadelphia.
But in early 2023, Butler came under the supervision of a male supervisor who allegedly harbored hostility toward her and created a hostile work environment for her.
“[The supervisor] began targeting and harassing [Butler],” according to the lawsuit.
The supervisor treated Butler “aggressively,” and acted like every problem she complained about was caused by her own actions. The supervisor also went out of his way to criticize Butler for no good reason, according to the lawsuit.
“[Butler] observed that [the supervisor] was not displaying this conduct toward the other straight, male employees on their team,” the lawsuit alleges.
The supervisor also began referring to Butler as a “lesbo,” which is a pejorative term for a lesbian, according to the lawsuit.
A few months later, Butler and a co-worker both applied for a more desirable position within Materion. Butler didn’t get the job.
Following this setback, the supervisor approached Butler, who was disappointed and quieter than usual during her shift after finding out she didn’t get the position.
The supervisor began ridiculing Butler for not getting the job, telling Butler she was “acting fucked up.” The supervisor also got very close to Butler and repeatedly asked, “Is it a problem?” in a hostile and aggressive manner, according to the lawsuit.
Workplace conditions for Butler continued to deteriorate.
“On or about May 13, 2023, [Butler] was working three (3) furnaces on her own as another employee had gone home,” the lawsuit continues. “[Butler] asked [the supervisor] for help, as the other employees he had assigned to assist were not certified for the machines in question and did not know what they were doing. [The supervisor] became upset and said to [Butler]: ‘See? You’re always the one starting problems.’”
Shortly thereafter, Butler was subjected to more hostility from the supervisor, according to the lawsuit.
“Following an incident wherein [Butler] had turned off one of the furnaces when attempting to correct a mistake made by another worker, [the supervisor] began yelling at her,” the lawsuit states. “As [Butler] was trying to explain what happened, [the supervisor] again became upset and accused [Butler] of ‘always blaming everyone else for her problems.’”
Then, the supervisor “got in [Butler’s] face and repeatedly asked her ‘What are you going to do about it?’” according to the lawsuit.
The supervisor’s demeanor and stance suggested to Butler that he was going to assault her, according to the lawsuit.
Shortly after this incident, Butler told the supervisor she would file a complaint against him. The supervisor allegedly replied that even if she did, Materion “wouldn’t do anything about it,” according to the lawsuit.
After this alleged conversation, the supervisor kept following Butler around, making additional negative comments. Butler told the supervisor repeatedly to get away from her. The supervisor then filed an incident report against Butler. But the incident report cited a witness who had only been present at the very end of the incident, according to the lawsuit.
“[Butler] never saw nor received a copy of this report,” the lawsuit alleges.
The supervisor allegedly told Butler to stay home while she was being investigated by Materion, before ultimately terminating Butler’s employment. The lawsuit doesn’t specify the actual date of Butler’s termination.
Butler’s lawsuit alleges violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and violations of the state’s Human Relations Act.
Butler seeks more than $150,000 in damages, including compensation for lost wages; lost opportunities; lost benefits; injury to reputation; and emotional pain and suffering. Additionally, Butler seeks punitive damages against Materion and payment for her attorneys’ fees and costs.
On July 15, 2024, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a “right to sue” letter to Butler, clearing the way for her federal lawsuit.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John M. Gallagher. A jury trial has been requested.
Neither side had a comment for this story.