By Liz Zemba
Tribune-Review
FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. — A former civilian kitchen worker at the Fayette County Prison contends in a federal civil rights lawsuit she was seriously injured when a guard attacked her, despite advanced pleas for help to the warden and two deputy wardens.
Through attorney Noah Geary of Washington County, Juliann Puckett filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.
Puckett, address unavailable, named as defendants Warden Brian Miller; deputy wardens Michael Zavada and Barry Croftcheck; corrections officer Lourie Chapman, also known as Laurie Chapman and Lori Chapman; and two officers identified by their first names only, Mike and Bobby.
Puckett was a contracted kitchen worker with Trinity Services Group when she alleges that on Aug. 3, 2013, Chapman grabbed her by her shoulders, slammed her repeatedly against a metal gate that separates a control room from the kitchen and threw her to the ground.
Puckett suffered a concussion and injuries to her head, brain, spine, hip, chest, knee, shoulders and eye. She had surgery on her knee and suffers from post-traumatic stress, according to the lawsuit.
Chris Bennett, vice president of United Mine Workers Local 9113, which represents corrections officers, said Chapman and the union had no immediate comment Monday.
Miller said Puckett expressed her concerns regarding Chapman verbally, but she refused to make a written report.
“Until you put it on paper, there’s not a whole lot I can do,” Miller said. “I don’t know how many times I talked to Julie and I told her, if people are picking on you, you have to make a formal complaint.”
Miller said officers might have been “picking on” Puckett, but “she was antagonizing it.”
“I would say it was both sides,” Miller said.
Gary Brownfield, chairman of the prison board, said he had no memory of the incident. Vincent Zapotosky, county commissioner and prison board member, said Chapman was temporarily suspended while Uniontown police investigated.
When no criminal charges were filed, Chapman was reinstated, he said.
Puckett alleges in the lawsuit that Chapman had an “intense dislike” for her that manifested itself in profanity and verbal abuse. She told Miller and the deputy wardens that Chapman threatened to harm her physically several weeks before the attack, but they failed to ensure the two worked opposite shifts.
On the day of the alleged attack, Chapman shouted an obscenity at Puckett as Puckett passed by on her way through the control room to the kitchen. Chapman turned a video surveillance camera toward the wall and attacked Puckett, according to the lawsuit.
The officer identified only as “Mike” is accused in the lawsuit of closing the gate to the control room and holding it to prevent Puckett from escaping. The officer known only as “Bobby” is accused of telling Chapman to “take (the plaintiff) down” during the attack.
Geary contends Puckett’s Fourth Amendment right to due process was violated because prison officials were aware she was in danger, but they did nothing to prevent the alleged attack. Puckett, who according to the lawsuit has a $187,405 workers’ compensation lien against her, is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages.