Transport official suspended for face lick

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NEW YORK, June 29 (UPI) -- New York transportation officials said a supervisor accused of licking a female subordinate's face has been suspended and will likely be fired.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Charles Seaton said division manager Earl Bryan's badge and work pass were confiscated at the close of a first-level disciplinary hearing Monday and officials are moving to fire him following a "complete and exhaustive investigation," the New York Daily News reported Friday.

Nancy Jenkins, an MTA bus driver, said she was receiving her route assignment early one April morning when Bryan grabbed her by the shoulders and "licked me from under my chin all the way up to my eyebrow."

Local 100 President John Samuelsen said he filed federal and state lawsuits at the MTA for taking so long to take action on the case.

"It's outrageous that it has taken nearly two months for the MTA to act," Samuelsen said Thursday. "We have more than 8,000 female transit workers in all job titles. They have been subjected to lousy rest facilities, disrespect, suggestive language and sexual harassment for too long. Hopefully, this incident and the courageous actions of Bus Operator Nancy Jenkins and others coming forward to out this supervisor will serve notice on everyone at the MTA that sexual harassment has no place in any workplace, but especially in a workplace so public and so important to the people of the City of New York as our public transit system."