A former USPS employee has filed a lawsuit against the United States Postal Service, alleging severe sexual harassment and retaliation by a senior manager. On August 13, 2024, Princess Myers filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
According to the complaint, Myers worked as a mail handler at the USPS facility in New Orleans from June 2022 through July 13, 2023. During this period, Michael Phillips, the Senior Manager of Delivery Operations (MDO), allegedly subjected her to continuous sexual harassment. The complaint details that Phillips made inappropriate comments about Myers' appearance, called her demeaning names such as "my baby," "my tall glass of water," and "Pocahontas," and even asked her to bear his child. Myers repeatedly told Phillips to stop his behavior but was met with refusal and further harassment.
Myers claims that she reported the harassment to union representatives and other superiors multiple times but received no assistance or intervention. Fearful of retaliation, she hesitated to file a formal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint until another manager collected statements from several women at the plant who had also experienced harassment from Phillips. After submitting her statement on June 16, 2023, Myers noticed an immediate cessation of Phillips's inappropriate behavior but soon faced retaliatory actions.
On July 13, 2023, just weeks after filing her statement, Myers alleges that Phillips retaliated by removing her from her work assignment and sending her home without pay for arriving late due to an injury. This action violated union agreements regarding equipment use priority based on seniority. Further retaliation included withholding pay for over a month and failing to provide necessary documentation for forced leave.
The lawsuit outlines multiple instances where Phillips’s behavior created a hostile work environment for Myers and other female employees. For example, on November 4, 2022, Phillips hugged Myers so tightly it caused physical pain. In December 2022, he openly expressed his desire for Myers to have his child while she was on a work-related phone call with another employee who overheard these comments.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress, punitive damages for intentional infliction of harm, attorney's fees, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Attorneys Caroline Gabriel and William Most represent Princess Myers in this case before Judge [Name] under Case No. 2:24-cv-1988.