'Porn Couch': Hocking, Ohio, County prosecutor facing sex discrimination lawsuit
The Hocking County prosecutor faces a lawsuit in federal court filed earlier this month from former employees who allege a "frat house" environment of sexual discrimination and retaliation.
Earlier this month, plaintiffs Kate Ricketts and Kelsey Vanscyoc, two former employees of the Hocking County Prosecutor's Office, filed a suit against Prosecutor Ryan Black and Hocking County, alleging, in addition to sexual discrimination, that he "blatantly abused the power of his office" and subjected them to "a constant stream of … demeaning, degrading, sexist, and offensive comments."
Ricketts and Vanscyoc both resigned due to retaliation and harassment in 2023 after they complained about Black's behavior.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District Court by Columbus-based attorney Michael Moses, seeks unspecified damages and fees, back pay and benefits, as well as the reinstatement of Ricketts and Vanscyoc to their former roles, according to court records. The suit, filed Feb. 12, comes after the Ohio Civil Rights Commission ruled the two have the right to file the suit.
Black's office declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Shirtless pictures, an office shotgun, and jokes about a "porn couch"
The lawsuit alleges that over a six-week period beginning in the summer of 2022, Black used his position as prosecutor to "pursue" Vanscyoc, who was hired in 2021 as lead victim advocate, as a sexual partner.
On Aug. 6, 2022, the lawsuit said Black, Vanscyoc and another employee of the office smoked marijuana at his house before Vanscyoc and the other employee went to a bar to drink. When she returned several hours later to her car by his house, the lawsuit said he pressured her to have sex with him while she was drunk and walking past his residence.
Black and Vanscyoc later had sex on Aug. 17, 2022, although the lawsuit alleges that she tried to decline and provide excuses for why she could not come over to his house at his urgings, but that she felt "pressured and intimidated, fearing retribution" if she refused to comply.
Neither of the sexual encounters were consensual, according to the lawsuit.
Black also would make sexually explicit remarks to female employees, such as "how low cut their tops were, and how tight their clothing was, and bragged about sexual affairs he had or was having.” He also allegedly sent various inappropriate and sexual messages as well as shirtless pictures to Vanscyoc and other female employees in the office.
He also repeatedly referred to the couch in his office as a "porn couch" or "casting couch" and suggested he film some of the female employees in bikinis on it.
In addition to his regular degrading remarks toward women, the lawsuit also said his mental state was a major concern among office staff.
"Black displayed extremely moody and belligerent behavior which had [a] disturbing and frightening impact on all female staff, and on most days, would stomp around the office in front of staff and yell curses," according to the lawsuit. "On particularly extreme days, Black would also slam office doors and throw items."
The lawsuit further alleges that the outbursts were made worse by the "common knowledge" among office staff that Black kept a shotgun in his office and had bragged about pulling a firearm on a minor.
Lawsuit against Hocking County prosecutor Ryan Black alleges retaliation
The lawsuit alleges that after Vanscyoc declined to have additional relations with him after Aug. 17, he began to retaliate and become increasingly hostile.
When Ricketts, an office assistant, and Vanscyoc "unsuccessfully" complained about Black's conduct to administration in Hocking County, Black began retaliating against them, "ultimately, demoting (Vanscyoc) and then forcing her to resign from her job."
"(Hocking County administration was) aware that the unlawful discrimination was occurring due to the open and notorious nature of the discrimination and did not take sufficient action to stop the harassment which Vanscyoc and Ricketts and others complained of, or prevent future discrimination or retaliation," according to the lawsuit.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'Porn Couch': Hocking County prosecutor faces sex discrimination lawsuit
