A Fairbanks woman who worked at Denali State Bank is suing the financial institution in federal court over claims of sex-based discrimination and retaliation.
According to a lawsuit filed in Alaska District Court Aug. 4, the plaintiff was hired at the bank in August 2022. The suit alleges that, in March of this year, a male coworker sexually assaulted and harassed the woman at an offsite gathering that other employees attended.
The woman took “emergency personal leave” afterward, and reported the incident to a supervisor a little less than three weeks later, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiff claims the bank’s ensuing investigation seemed to prioritize protecting the alleged offender, and that she was “accused of causing drama.”
The suit says, despite records showing her job performance was satisfactory, she was formally reprimanded and placed on probation in April. The woman later resigned, saying in the district court complaint that continuing in the work environment was unbearable.
The lawsuit claims Denali State Bank’s response to the woman’s report of assault and harassment violated both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Alaska Human Rights Act. It asks for more than $150,000 in damages, with the exact amount to be determined at trial.
The lawsuit follows a preliminary complaint the woman made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a step that’s generally required before bringing an employment discrimination case to court. According to EEOC data, in the last four years, the agency has received about 20-30 sex-based discrimination and retaliation complaints annually from Alaska.
The EEOC issued dismissal and a notice of right to sue to the woman in May, meaning the commission would not litigate the case but that the civil claim could move forward.
Denali State Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. An attorney for the plaintiff declined to comment for this story.