A former Jackson Laboratory employee has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging the lab did not do enough to stop a co-worker from sexually harassing her at work.

The woman, who lives in Washington County, alleges in the complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Bangor that she complained to a supervisor 10 to 12 times after a co-worker began sexually harassing her, but nothing was done to stop it.

The co-worker later faced criminal charges for allegedly putting a camera in a bathroom at the Bar Harbor lab to record the woman and other employees. The Portland Press Herald is not identifying the woman because she has alleged she is a victim of sexual harassment.

The woman, who worked as an animal technician at the lab for nearly two years, alleges in the lawsuit that her co-worker, Brandon Lyons, began sexually harassing her during the summer of 2024. His lewd comments about her body made her feel “extremely uncomfortable at work,” according to the complaint.

After the comments began, the woman made oral complaints to her supervisor up to a dozen times over several months and made at least one written complaint, according to the lawsuit. The complaint alleges the supervisor saw Lyons act inappropriately and heard him make inappropriate comments “on many occasions.”

The woman also reported the harassing comments to another supervisor, who allegedly told her to “bite her tongue” and “work with people you may not like” because “that’s how you prove you can work through difficult situations and get promoted,” according to the complaint.

On May 20, 2025, Lyons placed a video camera in a single-stall bathroom that the woman regularly used, according to the complaint. Another lab employee found the camera and called police. The following day, the woman was told that Lyons had recorded her in the bathroom, the complaint said.

Thania Benios, director of communications for Jackson Lab, said in a statement that the organization takes the allegations seriously and conducted a thorough review.

“We took appropriate action consistent with our policies and commitment to a safe, respectful workplace,” she said.

Benios said she could not comment further on the pending litigation.

The complaint states that the lab “failed to investigate or document the complaints, failed to take meaningful or appropriate action, failed to prevent a serious and foreseeable act of harassment, and informed (the woman) that she was expected to tolerate such sexually offensive comments and behavior.”

Lyons is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. William Ashe, an attorney for Lyons, did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the complaint, the woman obtained a protective order against Lyons and was unable to return to work because she felt unsafe. It says she was treated for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and resigned on July 9, 2025.

The woman filed a complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission and obtained a notice of right to sue. She has requested a jury trial and is seeking back pay, damages and reinstatement, according to the complaint.

James Clifford, the attorney representing the woman, said that neither he nor his client was available for interviews Wednesday and he declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Lyons, 31, of Hancock, was arrested in October and charged with stalking and multiple counts of violation of privacy for allegedly setting a camera in a shoe facing a toilet at the lab, according to The Ellsworth American. An affidavit filed by Bar Harbor police said the camera was in place for about 90 minutes and recorded three women and one man, the newspaper reported.

In March, Lyons was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a psychiatric center for treatment, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger did not respond to a request for information Wednesday.