A Long Island man has filed a $100 million sexual harassment lawsuit accusing his former supervisor at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center of coercing him into sex for years — alleging he was pressured to engage in “early-morning quickies” or risk losing his job.
According to the lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, 50-year-old Kian Cooper, a single father and longtime employee at the Queens-based drug rehabilitation program, says his former boss, Michele Poole, repeatedly exploited her position as program director to force him into unwanted sexual activity at the start of his 6 a.m. shift, two to three times per week.
Cooper Claims He Was Threatened With Termination if He Refused
Cooper alleges that whenever he resisted Poole’s advances, she would threaten his employment — a serious fear, as he has a past drug conviction and says stable work is crucial to providing for his two children.
The lawsuit claims Poole would brag that she was a “Mercedes” that needed “upkeep,” and allegedly invoked former President Barack Obama to justify their encounters, at one point reportedly saying:
“Barack met Michelle at work. She was his boss. Be presidential.”
Cooper says he asked Poole to stop more than 100 times in person, and an additional 12 to 14 times via text, yet the alleged coercion continued for years.
Lawsuit Says Colleagues Heard ‘Audible Noises’ From Office
Court filings state that coworkers were “well aware” of what was happening due to “loud noises relative to sexual activities” behind the closed door of Poole’s fourth-floor office.
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| Long Island Man Kian Cooper Sues Former Boss Michele Poole, Alleging She Forced Him Into Sex Under Threat of Firing at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center |
Cooper alleges the ongoing harassment caused severe emotional damage, including PTSD, prompting him to take medical leave. Despite the turmoil, he still works at Saint Joseph’s as a clinical supervisor.
Poole Denies Accusations, Claims the Relationship Was Consensual
Poole, speaking to the New York Post, vehemently denies all allegations and insists their six-month relationship was entirely consensual. She claims Cooper sent her romantic messages and gifts — not the other way around — and argues she had no authority to hire or fire him, saying:
“He’s just making stuff up. I have proof of the intimate things he sent me. I’ll be filing lawsuits against anyone who slanders me.”
Poole is no longer employed at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, though it remains unclear whether she resigned or was terminated.
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| Michele Poole allegedly demanded regular sex from Cooper, he claimed in a lawsuit. |
Cooper Says He Felt Trapped and Humiliated
Cooper says he felt forced to tolerate the situation to protect his job, explaining the dread he experienced walking toward Poole’s office each morning:
“Walking from the third to the fourth floor, I would think, ‘Damn it, how am I going to get out of this office without feeling gross?’”
He described the ordeal as psychological abuse that left him feeling degraded and trapped:
“I basically was just trying to take the abuse and save my job.”
The lawsuit is ongoing, and Saint Joseph’s Medical Center has not publicly commented on the allegations.
