Court clerk sues judge for sexual harassment

WHITE PLAINS — A clerk for New Windsor Town Court is suing Justice George Meyers Jr. and the town in federal court, alleging that Meyers sexually harassed her and retaliated against her after learning she formally complained about his behavior.

In a lawsuit filed Feb. 19 in the U.S. District Court’s Southern District of New York, Patricia Tarsio, a senior court clerk, claims Meyers began making repeated, inappropriate comments to her at work in 2021. Meyers allegedly would remark on Tarsio’s physical appearance, ask her to meet with him outside of work and share details of his personal romantic life, which made her uncomfortable, according to the complaint.

Much of the lawsuit focuses on a holiday gathering of court staff at a restaurant last January, where Tarsio alleges Meyers’ comments to her about a drink named “Bananas and Blow” were particularly humiliating. But Tarsio’s colleagues said they noticed Meyers’ attention on her and repeated invitations to get drinks with him alone, according to the complaint. One clerk allegedly said that if she didn’t know better, she would think there was something romantic between them.

After the holiday party incident, Tarsio reported her concerns about Meyers’ behavior to New Windsor’s other town justice, Noreen Calderin. Calderin scheduled a meeting with Meyers and Tarsio, but it was canceled shortly before it was set to begin, according to the federal lawsuit.

Meyers has been a town judge since 2018. His father, George Meyers Sr., served 16 years as New Windsor town supervisor across multiple terms, most recently from 2019-23.

Tarsio’s concerns about Meyers were sent to the town attorney’s office for investigation. She also filed a complaint with the unified court system’s inspector general, who referred it to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. The 11-member panel is an independent state agency that investigates allegations of judicial misconduct made against state, county, town and village judges.

At some point, Meyers became aware of Tarsio’s complaints, according to the federal lawsuit. He allegedly began retaliating against her, “treating her much more harshly” at work and giving her “hyper-attention” and “hyper-criticism” that interfered with her court duties. Tarsio claims that behavior intensified after she filed a notice of claim and charge with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in June 2023.

Tarsio suffered significant and severe emotional distress, including but not limited to fear, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment and depression, because of the “sexually hostile work environment” and retaliation she experienced from Meyers, according to the complaint. Last month, she began working from home on days Meyers is present for court duties.

She claims his behavior has also interfered with her ability to do real estate sales work that she usually does on evenings and weekends because she is afraid Meyers will accuse her of doing so while she’s on duty.

In June 2023, Tarsio served a notice of claim to the town in compliance with state municipal law. She gave testimony under oath during an examination conducted by the town in October 2023. In December, she received a “right to sue letter” from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, according to the complaint.

Tarsio, who has worked as a clerk in town court since 2008 and was named senior clerk in 2020, is being represented by Goshen-based attorney Jonathan Goldman of the firm Sussman & Goldman and has demanded a jury trial. She is also asking for the judge to order the defendants not to discriminate or retaliate against her at work, and award her punitive and compensatory damages, including back pay, with pre- and post-judgment interest. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel.

In response to a request for comment from the Times Union, Meyers’ Long Islandbased attorney Michael Miranda said in a statement: “We look forward to winning this case in court and will not litigate the case in the press.”

New Windsor Town Attorney David Zagon could not be immediately reached for comment.