West Alton Marina seeks to have lawsuits moved to federal court

ALTON — The defendants in civil suits brought by former West Alton Marina teenage employees who allege they were subjected to sexual harassment, sexual assault and retaliation are asking to have some of the cases transferred to federal court.

Marina owners Brian Fortier, Dierdre Tibbetts, and Allyson Shea, together with former marina manager John Murray say the suits should be heard in federal court because, among the claims cited in the suit, the plaintiffs allege they had to deal with sexual harassment and a hostile work environment which are violations under federal law.

Attorney William Christie, who is representing the four individual defendants as well the business named in the five suits, made the filing with regard to two suits in which the claims on federal law have been alleged. The five suits were filed in recent weeks in Belknap Superior Court.

Fortier and Murray are also facing felony criminal charges related to allegations of sexual assault of underage marina employees, and other crimes. Murray has been in custody since his arrest last August. Fortier was held briefly at the Belknap County Corrections facility, but is now free on electronic monitoring.

All five plaintiffs, whose real identities are shielded by pseudonyms, allege the marina’s owners “allowed sexual assault, harassment, and abuse to be the norm” and to which employees were exposed.