By Helen Peterson
March 23, 2006
A woman who says she was sexually harassed by her boss at a Catholic relief agency is suing after being told by a higher authority to consider her plight "a challenge from God."
Reinhard started working in the agency's Manhattan office in July 2002 as an assistant editor and claims La Civita started making offensive sexual remarks within her first two weeks on the job.
According to her complaint, La Civita talked of his "sexual proclivities and proclaimed prowess in graphic detail."
The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, says that when Reinhard complained to a human resources administrator, she was told La Civita was a "man in pain" - and to accept the conduct as a "challenge from God."
The suit further claims that when she complained about La Civita to Catholic Near East's secretary general, Msgr. Robert Stern, he asked, "Why can't a woman be more like a man?"
Reinhard, who was fired in Oct. 2003, said she was given no reason.
La Civita, who also is the group's spokesperson, said he was "stunned" by the allegations, which he added were "not true."