March 23, 2006
Helen Peterson
A woman who says she was sexually harassed by her boss at a Catholic relief
agency is suing after being told by a higher authority to consider her plight "a
challenge from God."
Reinhard started working in the agency's Manhattan office in July 2002 as an
assistant editor and claims La Civita started making offensive sexual remarks
within her first two weeks on the job.
According to her complaint, La Civita talked of his "sexual proclivities and
proclaimed prowess in graphic detail."
The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, says that when Reinhard
complained to a human resources administrator, she was told La Civita was a
"man in pain" - and to accept the conduct as a "challenge from God."
The suit further claims that when she complained about La Civita to Catholic
Near East's secretary general, Msgr. Robert Stern, he asked, "Why can't a
woman be more like a man?"
Reinhard, who was fired in Oct. 2003, said she was given no reason.
La Civita, who also is the group's spokesperson, said he was "stunned" by the
allegations, which he added were "not true."
