Is the Washington Courthouse, Ohio City Attorney guilty of sexual harassment? Or was he just kidding around with an employee who also used some questionable language? Bombshell allegations from a woman hired to work by the city claim that City Attorney Mark Pitstick conducted a campaign of sexual harassment against her and that the staffing agency that found her the job told her she’d just have to put up with it. She’s demanding $100,000 in damages but the folks representing Washington Courthouse tell a different story. They say she initiated the vulgar language.
So, who’s in the right? SCDN has obtained documents that tell both sides of the story. Read what everyone involved has to say before you make up your mind. We’ll warn you, some of this is pretty explicit.
Shawna Davis’ Side of the Story
Shawna Davis’ lawyer sent a letter to Washington Courthouse City Manager, Joseph Denen, back in September, demanding $100,000 in damages due to sexual harassment. In the letter, Denen said Ms. Davis applied for a position with the city back in 2018. At the time, she says City Attorney Mark Pitstick walked her over to the Randstad staffing agency which is right next door to the city offices.
The city hired Davis to work as a part-time cleaner at $15 an hour. She kept that job until the summer of 2019. At that time, Davis said her position was switched to Mr. Pitstick’s office. She served as an assistant to his administrative assistant. However, she claims he also required her to do tasks in support of his personal businesses, like serve eviction notices on tenants of his properties.
During that time, Ms. Davis said Mr. Pitstick began to harass her. According to her, he referred to her as a “dumb bitch” or “stupid bitch” on almost a daily basis. She also claims he called her a “slut” and said, “no one wants her because she has not tits or ass.” Ms. Davis’ attorney alleged that City Manager Denen witnessed the harassment and did nothing to stop it.
Ms. Davis also accuses her employers at Randstad of failing to act. She claims she went to the Staffing Manager Kylie Blair to complain. The letter alleges that Ms. Blair told her she couldn’t intervene on her behalf because. “I wouldn’t do that because not only would I lose my job, but Randstad would lose the contract.”
Physical Harassment
Mr. Pitstick is not the only person in the city Davis claims harassed her. She said City Code Enforcer Christ Richardson made sexually harassing comments “on a consistent basis.” Additionally, she claims he initiated unwanted physical contact by pressing his penis up against her arm. When she complained to Mr. Pistick, she alleged he replied, “You should be used to it.”
Ms. Davis said she was forced to quit her job in March of 2020. As a result, her attorney made this request, “Ms. Davis demands that the Employers pay her $100,000.00 in exchange for a release of her claims against the Employers. If the Employers to respond to Ms. Davis’s demand by or before October l, 2020, she will file a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.”
Crudest Of The Three?
However, attorneys working for Washington Courthouse responded with a different version of events. They offered text message exchanges between Ms. Davis and other city employees as proof that she often used sexually explicit language herself and called her boss names like “dickhead,” and “pasty-ass cracker.” The texts show Davis making multiple sexually explicit jokes. Examples:
November 8, 2019 Texts re: Cheryl calling Kristen (a client)
Mark, “Call Kristen about visiting motion”
Cheryl, “I’ve already talk to her”
Mark, “Why is she calling me”
Cheryl, “Because she’s a pain in the ass. Text me her number”
Mark, “you have to have empathy”
Cheryl, “fuek you”
Shawna, “empathize with ur asshole”
Mark, “Not nice”
Cheryl, “Text me her number so I can call the pain in the ass back”
Mark, “I’m heading to physical therapy I’ll be back around one”
Shawna, “Fml (fuck my life)”
Cheryl, “Lmao”
Shawna texts a picture of a paper monkey on a plate. Her mom sent her the picture and said the monkey looked like Shawna’s daughter I ee
Shawna, “Am I the only one don’t think this is funny to tell my biracial daughter. My mom sent that”
Mark, “Hahahahahah”
Shawna, “Not funny pastie ass cracker”
Mark, “Kiss kiss”
November 19, 2019 Texts
Shawna, “I won’t be there rough night my hole hasn’t adjusted back! ! JR”
December 2, 2019 Texts:
Shawna, “Will one of u fuckets turn my hours in!! ”
December 12, 2019 Texts
Shawna, “Tom Bailey called bus will be straighten out by next week! Also you guys are right I have to face him! I swear to you he’s up to no good, and something horrible is going to happen! I’ll just keep praying on it and hope for the best! ”
Shawna, “Glad we. had this talk (middlefinger emoji)
Mark, middle finger emoji
Cheryl, “It’s going to be fine”
Shawna, “I got 2 rubber dicks for both yalls mouth”
January 17, 2020 Texts
Mark, “Is Shauna working?”
Shawna, “Yes”
Mark, “Need to call Riser first thing in the morning. Cheryl, you computer is not working correctly”
Cheryl, “Why?”
Mark, “Well usually she lakes a day offa week. I figured this was the day”
Cheryl, “I meant why do you think my computer isn’t working correctly”
Mark, “You can’t just transfer over from one fly out to Prolaw”
Shawna, “Don’t start on me dickhead”
Shawna, “I think we should leave at noon and day drink!
Cheryl, “I am totally on board with that idea 101
Shawna, “Well 2/3 votes we win
Cheryl, “l agree”
Mark, “LMAO we. have work to do”
Cheryl, smiley face & middle finger emoji
Shawna, “I don’t LOL”
February 5, 2020 Texts
Shawna, “Lee woke up with fever and can barely talk without crying! My mom isn’t answering her phone!”
Mark, “Always miss one day a week! Pitiful”
Shawna, “Oh fuck u in ur big backside ocean hole! I am fully dressed and ready! I swear I am trying not to miss!” (sent picture ofdaughter asleep in bed)
Mark, “Alwavs an excuse”
Mark, ” Stage photo”
Shawna, “Go stick ur dick in a blender”
Upside Down Version of Events?
The city’s lawyers referred to Ms. Davis’ allegations as “Shawna’s upside-down version of the relationship among Mark, Cheryl, and Shawna is only the most recent of Shawna’s unfounded complaints about Washington Court House employees.”
Further, the response said that Mr. Pitstick offered financial and legal assistance to Ms. Davis for years and helped her get her job at the city. The response claims Ms. Davis was not happy with her original cleaner’s position because she thought female employees were intentionally dirtying the restrooms due to her past. The attorney called Ms. Davis’ complaints “beyond disingenuous.”
Further, the reply said, “Washington Court House is a very small community; each person I spoke with had nothing but good things to say about Mark, and they all knew that Mark helped Shawna with dozens of legal, financial, and family situations, just as he helps others with whom he works.”
The attorney said Mr. Richardson also denied the complaints. “To the contrary, he made a point of not being in a room alone with Shawna because the banter he overheard between Cheryl and Shawna made him uncomfortable, and he was aware the Shawna had been incarcerated. Others who work with Chris view him as very straight-laced, tending to avoid off-color chatter among employees.”
Not surprisingly, the city declined to make the payment.