Ex-park director says he was victim

YOUNGSTOWN —The former city park and recreation department’s executive director, facing a civil lawsuit filed by an employee accusing him of sexually harassed her, has filed a counterclaim saying he was the victim.

Tiffany Chavers, the commission’s administrative assistant, filed a lawsuit in January in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court against the city park and recreation commission and Joseph R. McRae, who suddenly retired in May 2007 as its director.

Chavers accused McRae of exposing himself to her and other inappropriate sexual conduct at least six times while riding in a city vehicle.

McRae’s attorneys deny the allegations and filed a counterclaim Monday against Chavers.

The counterclaim contends that Chavers “engaged in a patterm of behavior toward Mr. McRae which overtly manifested a desire to establish a personal romantic relationship.”

Barbara Kaye Bessner of Cleveland, one of Chavers’ attorneys, said there’s absolutely no truth to McRae’s allegations.

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