UW facing $500,000 claim in harassment case

SEATTLE – A University of Washington employee who says her boss sexually harassed her has filed a $500,000 claim against the university.

Emily Carleton, 37, said campus housing director Paul F. Brown, 60, harassed her with late-night e-mails, cards and unwanted touching for about seven weeks this year.

The Seattle Times reported that, according to UW records, Brown has said that some of his behavior was inappropriate, but some of the allegations are untrue.

Mediation is scheduled next month.

Carleton said Brown’s advances caused her anxiety, humiliation and embarrassment.

She said Brown drove her to an expensive restaurant one night, expressed his love and offered her a job managing a $250 million campus housing development.

With a background as a writer and a proofreader, Carleton said she was not qualified.

When Brown first began taking her to lunch in January and driving her home, Carleton told investigators, she was flattered and considered him a mentor.

Brown told investigators that he drove Carleton home more than a dozen times, and had discussed his marital problems with her. He contended he never offered the project manager job to her, but said he did talk with her about “managing all the people involved with the West Campus project.”

After the allegations were made in February, the UW accepted Carleton’s request to work from home. Later, Brown was reassigned to a newly created job. His yearly pay of roughly $140,000 remained the same.

The Times reported that the UW offered Carleton $1,500, if she promised not to sue or talk about the situation. She rejected the offer.