Lawsuit alleges 'boys club,' sexual harassment in Warwick Water Division. What to know.

PROVIDENCE –  A new federal lawsuit portrays the climate in the Warwick Water Division as rife with sexual harassment and retaliation, with an administration that tolerates bad behavior.

Bree Boulais, a former supervisor in the Water Division, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that she was subjected to sexual and gender harassment during her tenure with the city, and that her superiors retaliated against her when she reported inappropriate comments, including an antisemitic joke by a boss. She alleges that her civil rights were violated by the rampant sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

Boulais seeks back pay and unspecified damages from the city for mental anguish and suffering.

The city declined comment through a spokeswoman because the case involves a legal matter and the city had not yet responded in court.

More: A former waitress is suing Kirkbrae Country Club over alleged sexual harassment. What to know.

'Boys club’ atmosphere

According to the complaint, Boulais worked as a project supervisor at the Water Division from 2021 through her “constructive discharge” in October 2023, when she resigned, she said, due to the work environment.

For the first year, the job went well, the complaint says, with no offensive comments, though it was apparent that the leadership seemed to foster a sexist, inappropriate “boys club” atmosphere. But in March 2022, the suit says, the city controller of finances at the time sent her an “offensive” email saying she was cute. She responded that the message was inappropriate and unprofessional and reported it to her manager and division director, who assured her it would be reported.

Days later, she said, the division director sent her an email telling her that she looked stunning and commented, in front of workers, that he had left his socks by her bed, implying they were having an affair, the suit says. The division director then proceeded to ask a meter technician if he wanted to “run a train” on her, bringing her to tears, she said.

Around the same time, she says, she began being harassed by the division director's brother, who was a division foreman whom the suit says was having an inter-office extramarital affair that was openly and explicitly discussed. Boulais complained about the inappropriate comments to her supervisors.

Human resources investigation

The division foreman became hostile toward Boulais, the suit alleges, to the point where he threw a power tool at her in the parking lot, the suit says, though he later claimed it fell off his truck. She reported the incident to the division director, who is the foreman's brother and who wanted to handle it “in house.”

The Water Division employees were questioned by the city human resources director and Department of Public Works director, with the division foreman receiving a 10-day suspension without pay.

After the investigation, Boulais says in the suit, she was exiled, given the silent treatment and undermined.

Retaliation for sexual-harassment complaints alleged

In the suit, Boulais said she told the human resources director about the division director's retaliation against her but was ignored. When another employee, Peter Broomfield, reported the division director to human resources, both Boulais and her coworker were excluded from getting business cards and from the city's Christmas commercial, the suit alleges.

Boulais claims her supervisor then began texting her comments about her appearance and clothing choices, even confessing he had feelings for her, but Boulais said she felt she could not report his behavior because she feared retaliation.

A slap and a Nazi joke

In August 2023, the division director called Boulais and Broomfield into his office and, the suit alleges, proceeded to tell a "Nazi joke," and slap Broomfield, who is Jewish, in the face.

Broomfield reported the slap to Warwick police, and the division director was charged with simple assault. Court records show he admitted to the crime in Superior Court and received a filing, meaning the charge would be cleared from his record if he remained in good behavior for a year. He received a 10-day suspension from work.

After the incident, Boulais said, the workplace become increasingly hostile. With a note from a therapist, she took a leave of absence and then resigned in October 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ex-employee says Warwick Water Division rife with sexual harassment