FREMONT, Ohio — Four women have filed a federal lawsuit against former Sandusky County Prosecutor Timothy Braun as well as other county officials.
Valerie Van Fleet, Carlee Fairbanks, Ashley Ward, and Brandy White are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. All four women worked for the Sandusky County Prosecutor's Office when Braun was a prosecuting attorney.
The complaint is also filed against Sandusky County Board of County Commissioners, Sandusky County, and Beth Tischler, a Sandusky County Prosecuting Attorney.
The plaintiffs accuse Braun of creating a hostile work environment, making sexist comments and inappropriately touching the women, including unwanted back rubs.
"Defendant Braun's conduct was known or should have been known by Defendants Sandusky County Prosecutor, Commissioners and County," the document says.
It goes on to say the defendants didn't take any "preventative or corrective action" in response to the women's complaints. Instead, the document says the defendants "deliberately and intentionally took adverse action against Plaintiffs because they complained about Braun's conduct."
The plaintiffs added that Braun's actions created a "discriminatorily abusive working environment." It says this caused the defendants to discharge Van Fleet and White.
In December 2019, five women in the Sandusky County Prosecutor's Office accused Braun of sexual misconduct. They said Braun emotionally and physically terrorized them in his office.
Following a state investigation into the claims of sexual misconduct, Braun pleaded guilty to negligent assault.
Shortly after pleading guilty, Braun resigned from office on Jan. 21, after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a complaint seeking Braun's removal from office.
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