Teen to sue Brookhaven over his firing

A Miller Place lawyer has sent a notice to Brookhaven that he intends to sue the town because he believes his son was wrongfully terminated from his job at a public marina for reporting sexual harassment.

The lawyer, William Kowalenko, said his son Jordan, 19, was unfairly fired this week from his summer job as a dockhand at the town's Port Jefferson marina.

Kowalenko said a 17-year-old co-worker of his son cloned Jordan's cell phone number and made a harassing phone call to a mutual female acquaintance. Jordan later learned of the incident and reported it to the town, Kowalenko said.

Jordan was fired about two weeks later, Kowalenko said.

Kowalenko, who has filed a notice of claim, said he is seeking unspecified monetary damages and wants the town to adopt a stronger policy about whistle-blowing at work. He said he also wants "vindication for my son."

He added that Jordan's firing "says to everybody who is saying anything that they'd better watch what they say or they will find themselves out of a job."

Town officials declined to comment on Kowalenko's complaint, which was filed with the town earlier this week.

Jack Krieger, a town spokesman, said Brookhaven "has just learned of this notice of claim" and "disputes the allegations." He added, "it is town policy not to comment on ongoing litigation."

Kowalenko said he believes the town retaliated against his son in part because the 17-year-old that Jordan reported has relatives in local government. Two of the worker's siblings also work at the docks, Kowalenko said, and his father works in maintenance for the Suffolk County Water Authority.

Jordan Kowalenko, who attends SUNY Cortland, said he believes he was fired for speaking out.

"I went out, I stuck my neck out, I helped a girl out," he said. "They held everything against me."