During the public participation segment of the Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meeting March 12, attendees sought information about a sexual harassment lawsuit settlement against Police Chief Scott Fogel.

Katherine Mac-Perich, a resident who attended the meeting, asked the township solicitor, “How much will the taxpayers have to pay for the settlement against Chief Fogel?”

Attorney David Backenstoe noted this was handled by the attorney for the insurance company so he could not comment.

Former Lehigh Township police officer Jessica Edwards had filed a federal lawsuit alleging the department’s chief sexually harassed her, physically accosted her and retaliated against her during her five-year employment.

According to paperwork filed in U.S. District Court, the case filed by Edwards was dismissed Feb. 23 due to the settlement, details of which have not been released to the public.

Lehigh Township responded to a Right To Know request March 4, stating, “There currently is no signed settlement between Lehigh Township and/or its police department with Jessica Edwards at this time.”

In a complaint filed in June 2023, an attorney for Edwards alleged she was “singled out and persistently disparaged, belittled, sexually objectified and insulted by Police Chief Scott Fogel.”

“She was physically accosted by him, denied opportunities for professional development and growth, retaliated against for complaining of mistreatment and ultimately placed in such a hostile, toxic and intolerable work environment that she was forced to resign for her own well-being,” Edwards’ attorney, Ryan Corkery of Ansa Assuncao LLP, wrote.

The lawsuit named both Fogel and the Lehigh Township Police Department.

Edwards was hired by the department in February 2018 and, at the time, was its first and only Act 120-certified female officer.

The complaint alleged Fogel questioned whether Edwards was having a sexual relationship with another officer, made sexualized comments about her social media activity and, in a meeting alone with her, pulled up his shirt to expose his “stomach, navel, nipples and chest” to her.

Edwards also alleged that during the winter of 2020, Fogel “approached her from behind, gripped her hair and forcefully snapped her head back, pulling her toward the midsection of his body and torso.”

A similar incident happened in a Lehigh Township parking garage in December 2020, the complaint reports, and a police sergeant made an official report to the township.

“The township took no meaningful action to investigate the incident, discipline Fogel, deliver remedial education and/or training to Fogel regarding appropriate boundaries or render any support or assistance to Edwards,” the complaint states.

Edwards alleges that, after the issues were brought to the attention of the township, Fogel “became emboldened and commenced a campaign of retaliation” including demanding privileged medical information when she was late for a training event following a medical emergency involving a family member.

“The harassment and punitive retaliation against (Edwards) regarding the November 2021 training event reached a crescendo when (Fogel) convened a Loudermill hearing to subject her to the professional equivalent of a mock execution,” the complaint states. “Edwards was not terminated but was left feeling overwhelmed with extreme emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation and helplessness.”

In April 2022, Edwards filed a complaint against the police department, Lehigh Township and Fogel with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“For over a half a year, Fogel directed Edwards’ supervising sergeant to withhold her annual reviews, thereby attempting to limit her ability to gather evidence in support of her case,” the complaint states.

Edwards began utilizing comp time and sick time March-May 2023, which she said were at the orders of her doctor “due to the severity of her emotional distress and anxiety and health-related issues.”

She resigned from the department June 1, 2023.

“Due to the malicious, wrongful and tortuous and abusive conduct of Fogel, and the complicity of the township, Edwards has been forced to resign from her law enforcement position, at which she excelled, and for which she was trained, and has consequently lost a career of future earnings, promotions, health benefits and a pension,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit included multiple counts of sexual harassment as well as battery, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Edwards is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, damages for delay and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

In other business, supervisors approved an extension until July 31 for the Timothy Pitts Land Development to move the property line to save wetlands for the mobile home park off Route 946.

A bench was purchased by the recreation committee by the family of John Hawks with a plaque in his name to be placed in Bryfogle Park.

Supervisors also approved a sealed bid on a 2017 pickup from Upper Macungie Township for public works and passed a motion to accept a free sign for the public works building to refurbish.

Lehigh Township Fire Company got a new 2023 Ford F-550 brush truck, unit number 4742, classified as class A pumper.

Supervisors approved paying Billitier Electric $54,000 for an electric contract, paying Shannon A. Smith Inc. $62,032.50 for a mechanical contract and paying Vision Mechanical $63,783.64 for plumbing.

Maple Drive will be closed April 2 through June, according to supervisors.

Jarrad Hedes contributed to this report.