SCHENECTADY – Amid a sexual harassment complaint investigation against longtime Schenectady Public Defender Stephen Signore, allegations have emerged suggesting that he prohibited female employees from wearing high heels in the office, particularly if it made them taller than him. The complaint, obtained by the Times Union, reveals that Signore even went so far as to mark the heights of employees on a wall in the office.
The former staffer, who filed the complaint in February, found no humor in Signore’s remarks or his other offensive jokes. She stated, “I think pretty much every employee at the office heard the inappropriate comments from Steve.” In the complaint, the woman further claimed that during a conversation about their office wish list, Signore mentioned wanting a hot tub but made a comment about not being able to wear bathing suits in it.
Previously, the Times Union had reported on the hot tub incident and the county’s decision to send Signore for additional sexual harassment and supervisory training classes. However, the other allegations in the complaint remained unknown to the public until now.
The complaint also alleges that Signore made jokes about not wanting women to drink from a specific water container to avoid pregnancy after two female attorneys became pregnant. Additionally, he frequently made comments like “you never forget your first…” and then would pause before ending the sentence with a specific event, such as a trial.
When reached for comment, Signore declined to respond. The woman involved in the complaint stated that these experiences caused her to abandon her career plans as a public defender, something she had aspired to after reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” in high school. She even changed her appearance, wardrobe, and behavior at work to draw less attention to herself.
The woman expressed feeling uncomfortable and even had therapy to cope with the comments made at work. County Attorney Chris Gardner did not provide a comment regarding the new disclosures, and Signore had previously declined to respond to the earlier article.
Last month, Gardner disclosed that Signore, who has over 30 years of experience with the county, received a written warning and was instructed to take additional sexual harassment and supervisory training classes. It is unclear whether he completed these classes. County Manager Rory Fluman determined the discipline after Gardner’s office conducted the investigation.
Gardner refused to release the full complaint, citing attorney-client privilege and a violation of personal privacy. Nevertheless, these allegations shed new light on the seriousness of the situation.
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