A Levittown woman has filed a sexual harassment complaint to the State Division of Human Rights against her old boss. Katie Chaput, 22, a medical assistant, says she was fired from a Plainview medical office for rejecting the sexual advances of the 70-year-old podiatrist, Dr. Henry Balboa.
Dr. Balboa’s sexual advances on Chaput started when he invited her to a restaurant to discuss a raise with another doctor in the office, Dr. Strummer. She showed up in her scrubs and Balboa was sitting alone without Dr. Strummer. Instead of talking about Chaput’s raise, he started groping her and forcibly tried kissing her. When she moved his hand and pleaded that he stop, Balboa asked how much would he have to pay to have sex with her.
In the middle of the restaurant the doctor told Chaput she was beautiful, he loved her, and loved staring at her body at work. Once she turned down his advances the doctor turned on Chaput. Balboa started to criticize and yell at Chaput in front of the other workers and patients. He was so infuriated at one point he threatened to attack and rape her.
In 2011, Chaput started working 40 hours a week and she still has yet to be legally compensated for the weeks she worked more than 40 hours. Her State Division of Human Rights Complaint against Balboa says when she asked about the money his response was, “I’m only paying you for exactly 40 hours.”
Balboa made Chaput do odd jobs which had nothing to do with her work like watching his grandchildren. On many occasions the doctor showed up drunk and worked with patients under the influence.
Chaput was fired for complaining about the doctor’s sexual harassment. She believes she has been unable to find work because Balboa may have been giving negative references about her to employers like Garden OBGYN in Garden City. She says they complimented her during the interview but then fell out of interest when they contacted Dr. Balboa.
[Source: CBS]