ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A lawsuit filed in federal court alleges an Allentown City Council member created a “racially hostile environment” for at least one city employee.
Tawanna Whitehead, who has served as deputy clerk since 2010, sued the city Nov. 29.
She alleges officials, including Mayor Matt Tuerk, on multiple occasions took no action after Councilwoman Candida Affa made racially motivated remarks to her.
Allentown City Council members and Tuerk “did shamefully little” to end the alleged string of harassment by Councilwoman Candida Affa that dates back about five years.Allegations in lawsuit filed by Assistant City Clerk Tawanna Whitehead
The lawsuit says Whitehead, who is Black, reported a September 2023 incident to council members Daryl Hendricks and Cynthia Mota, who also “have taken no steps or initiated any safeguards” to protect Whitehead.
Council members, Tuerk and previous administrations “did shamefully little” to end the alleged string of harassment by Affa that dates back about five years, according to the suit.
Ed Pawlowski ran the city from 2006 until March 2018, when Ray O'Connell took the mayor's office. O'Donnell served until Tuerk was inaugurated in January 2022.
Whitehead also alleges through the suit that a series of human relations complaints against other city employees between 2015 and 2020 went missing.
'Unashamed bigot': Lawsuit
Whitehead’s suit comes as former FBI agent Scott Curtis continues his investigation — for which council members earmarked at least $300,000 — into claims of racism and workplace discrimination within Allentown city government.
Council unanimously ordered that investigation last year.
Members “have been vocal ... in criticizing” Mayor Matt Tuerk “for allowing racial and ethnic discrimination to permeate the City’s workforce,” the lawsuit states.
“Yet within City Council’s very own ranks is a member who is an unashamed bigot.”Allentown Assistant City Clerk Tawanna Whitehead’s attorney, Marc E. Weinstein, in lawsuit
“Yet within City Council’s very own ranks is a member who is an unashamed bigot,” Whitehead’s attorney, Marc E. Weinstein, wrote in the suit.
Affa on Tuesday told LehighValleyNews.com that she had no comment about the lawsuit.
But she said, “it might be quite interesting tomorrow,” alluding to council’s meetings Wednesday.
Whitehead is seeking a jury trial to resolve the suit.
