CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
A sexual harassment lawsuit involving a former beauty queen from North Carolina is set to move forward within the next month, according to her attorney.
Attorney Joshua Van Kampen expects a lawsuit filed by Miss Lumbee 2008 against the Lumbee Tribe to go to court in the next 30 days. Van Kampen says The Tribe has filed a motion to have the case heard in Robeson County, the home of the Lumbee Indians.
Ashley Haywood won the Miss Lumbee title in 2008. She says it was a great opportunity and she's proud to represent her tribe. However, she says tribal leaders did not respond appropriately when she complained about sexual harassment involving one of their own.
Haywood says her boss, Reverend Jimmy Hunt, made sexual comments and physical sexual advances at her repeatedly while she worked for him at the tribe's housing authority.
She believes was terminated after she pushed the tribal leadership to reopen their investigation into Hunt. The lawsuit says she was told by her employer that her suspension was for other reasons.
Haywood filed a lawsuit at the Mecklenburg County Court House seeking damages in October 2012. She also filed paperwork with the federal Employment Equal Opportunity Commission, which is standard to take the case to federal court.
Van Kampen says there will be a hearing in the next 30 days and it will decide if a judge in Mecklenburg or Robeson counties will hear the case.
Van Kampen says the case is strong based on two main points: the sexual harassment itself, and the tribe's failure to take action.
Haywood says she came forward to help other women and change how the tribe is managed. She doesn't want anyone else to go through what she did, she says.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Reverend Jimmy Hunt has declared bankruptcy, Van Kampen told WBTV.
WBTV reached out to the Lumbee leadership about the accusations after the lawsuit was filed and has not gotten a response.
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