Harrisville and a former borough secretary have agreed to try resolve a civil suit the secretary filed against the borough in 2022.

Former secretary Deborah Collins made accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation, aiding and abetting, and of a hostile work environment against the borough based on an alleged November 2020 incident in the borough building.

In a July 21 status conference in Butler County Common Pleas Court, Collins and the borough indicated willingness to resolve the suit through mediation. Judge Kelley Streib issued an order for the parties to tell the court when mediation will take place and provide progress updates.

Collins filed the suit in October 2022 seeking more than $35,000 in damages. She claims in the suit that she was having problems with her computer at work on Nov. 23, 2020, and bent under her desk to find the source of the problem.

Unknown to her, then-police Chief Alan Heller took a photo of her from behind. Mayor Gary Hughes, who died in June 2024, maintenance employee Jeff Cook and a woman were present when the photo was taken, according to the suit.

Afterward, Cook told Collins about the photo, and she confronted Heller, “who simply shrugged” at the accusation. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, Heller sent the photo to Collins through Facebook Messenger with the caption “Happy Thanksgiving,” according to the suit.

Collins said Heller’s behavior made her uncomfortable, she blocked him on Facebook and sent him a text message asking him to delete the photo. When she returned to work the following week, she asked Hughes why he didn’t stop Heller from taking the photo. Hughes deflected the question and indicated he could not make Heller apologize, according to the suit. She said she told Hughes she was not comfortable being in the borough building with Heller.

She said she believed the borough wasn’t taking her complaint seriously after she met with then-borough council President Marlene Stemmerich, and they called then-solicitor Joseph Nash, who is now a district judge, and no action was taken.

Cook installed a dead-bolt lock on the office door to make Collins feel more comfortable, but council ordered him to remove it after Heller complained about it, according to the suit.

Collins said her supervisors became critical of her for no justifiable reason, and many of her duties were assigned to another employee without explanation. Council members made comments indicating Collins was overreacting and Heller’s behavior was not a big deal. No action was taken against Heller, but Collins was humiliated, ostracized and made to feel guilty about her complaint, according to the suit.

Collins resigned effective Jan. 28, 2021, according to the lawsuit. She filed a discrimination complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in March of that year. The commission sent her a “Right to Sue” letter authorizing her to sue and stating the commission was still investigating her claim.

“I am for Debbie. It was stupidity on the guys in the office that day. I don’t think she was treated fairly,” Stemmerich said when contacted last week.

Neither Heller nor Maryann Hughes could be reached for comment. Nash declined to comment.