If you’re anxiously awaiting the civil trial to begin in the Schuylkill County sexual harassment case, you’re likely to be disappointed in this news.
It may not get underway until September 2022.
No date has been set as of yet but that’s the date suggested by attorneys representing the 4 Jane Doe plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage, Solicitor Glenn Roth, and Administrator Gary Bender.
Halcovage is accused by the unnamed women of sexual harassment at Schuylkill County Courthouse, in some instances dating back a decade. Bender and Roth are accused of complicity by failing to act on previous complaints filed by the women.
Halcovage Civil Trial May Not Happen Until September 2022
The attorneys’ proposed scheduling was submitted to the court of US District Judge Malachy Mannion, who is overseeing the case, on Sept. 23. There was a case management conference scheduled for Tuesday but no finalized schedule has been released.
This case is back on a path toward a trial after mediation talks broke apart back in mid-August. A potential settlement could have avoided a trial in the future but without a deal in place, the case is moving forward against Halcovage, Roth, and Bender.
Meanwhile, Halcovage is facing potential impeachment in Harrisburg over the allegations against him. Those are allegations that Halcovage has consistently denied as true.
Currently, the Judiciary Committee in the State House of Representatives has been granted permission to launch an investigation into Halcovage’s alleged infractions. This is the early stage of a potential impeachment. Impeachment is the only means to have Halcovage removed from office, short of a criminal conviction. It would require a majority vote in the House to move it to a trial in the State Senate to convict.
Previously, the state’s Attorney General’s office refused to take up a criminal investigation into Halcovage’s actions.
The federal lawsuit against Halcovage was filed earlier this year by 4 Courthouse employees. Allegations range from sexual assault to inappropriate comments made toward the women over an extended period of time.
The lawsuit was filed after a 2020 internal Courthouse investigation determined Halcovage violated several workplace rules but since he is an elected official and not an actual County employee, he couldn’t be terminated.
Halcovage has endured more than a year of calls from inside and outside the Courthouse for him to resign amid the allegations.
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James reber
October 18, 2021 at 2:30 pm
He should be put in prison for whether done to those women he’s no better than anyone does that would be in jail these judges will give him slap in the hand we need better judges in our sch Co court house there as bad police in sch co