PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College is denying claims of harassment leveled by a former student in a lawsuit.
The Attorney General of Washington Torts Division, which is representing the college, filed an 11-page response to the lawsuit in Clallam County Superior Court on Feb. 4.
In it, the school refutes all 98 allegations made by former student Bethel Prescott in a lawsuit filed Dec. 30.
Prescott, who was a student at Peninsula College from 2005 to 2007, said in the lawsuit that her chemistry professor, Paul Woodson, who died last June, repeatedly sexually harassed and defamed her.
Peninsula College president Tom Keegan said he couldn’t comment on the pending litigation but did say: “The college stands by the statements we made, and I am confident we will prevail.”
The denial asks the court to dismiss with prejudice Prescott’s claims and for the defendants to be “allowed their costs and reasonable attorney fees herein.”
The response is signed by Assistant Attorney General Susan Edison.
“We really wanted to resolve this short of this, but the college has made a point of not changing its behavior,” said Prescott’s attorney, Lawrence Hildes of Bellingham, after receiving the response.
“We are real concerned this is likely to happen again.”
Prescott said in the lawsuit that, as a student, she needed to take a sequence of chemistry courses that Woodson taught and that her work study was supervised by Woodson.
She said that Woodson “misused those positions of power and authority to make inappropriate sexual and derogatory comments, engage in explicit inappropriate behavior and generally create a hostile work environment against plaintiff based on her gender.”
Along with Woodson’s estate, the lawsuits names Keegan, Peninsula College Human Resources Director Bonnie Cauffman, Dean of Student Development Maria Pena and Gender Equity Advisor Carmen Germain.
Prescott claims that Cauffman, Pena, Germain and Keegan allowed a hostile educational environment to exist.
229 ‘Doe defendants’
It also names 299 “Doe defendants” at the college yet to be identified, who are made up of “the administrators, faculty, employees, students and other members of the college community who deliberately or maliciously joined in creating a hostile educational and work environment for Prescott.”
Cauffman and Germain also are accused of releasing Prescott’s confidential information after she initially complained of sexual harassment by Woodson.
Damages are not specified in the lawsuit.
“Ms. Prescott really did not want to do it,” Hildes said. “She basically just wants it to be over.”
Hildes said the college was negligent in that it did not protect Prescott after she complained.
“We are hoping this will be a wake-up call, and they will implement a policy that protects students from this,” Hildes said.
“They have not come up with a procedure to protect privacy claims.”
Hildes said he is open to a settlement out of court.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com
