Worker’s mother defends Dickman in vulgar video case
By Jay Tokasz
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
A Lancaster mother lashed out at town residents who she said exploited her daughter as part of a political ploy to influence voters in a hotly contested Town Board race.
Roxanne Weber said she was “sickened” to learn that some people she had considered friends were using a video recording of a village employee singing vulgar and misogynist lyrics for “desperate politics” in a bid to unseat board member Adam L. Dickman.
“They were using my daughter, my daughter – (in) her most embarrassing situation – for their politics,” Weber said.
Some residents began calling for Dickman to step down after he recorded a village public works department laborer making crude and obscene comments about women’s menstrual cycles in the presence of other male employees and Weber’s daughter, who worked as a seasonal employee in the department.
Video of the incident has been circulating around the town since mid-July and recently was posted to WNYmedia.net, a political website. In addition to being on the Town Board and running for re-election, Dickman works full time as a laborer for the village’s public works department.
His critics said he was complicit in allowing the female coworker to be sexually harassed in a workplace and should resign from the board.
The video at one point focuses on Weber’s daughter, who is seated at a table looking at a cellphone, as the worker sings his lyrics. Male laughter can be heard in the background.
Weber’s daughter, a college student who worked on a seasonal basis for the village, has hired attorney Lindy Korn to represent her.
Dickman has defended himself by saying he sent the video only to Weber’s husband, James Rogala, who also works in the public works department but was not present when their coworker, Brian Mamott, delivered his performance .
“I did this for her protection, so her parents could decide whether they would take any actions if necessary, which I assumed they would,” Dickman said.
At a board meeting, Weber echoed Dickman’s version of what happened.
Weber told The News that other workers also recorded the incident, but she does not know who circulated it or how it was posted to a website. She said William Cansdale, superintendent for the village public works department, gave it to the Village Board.
Nonetheless, political fliers have surfaced in the town making the claim that the video amounted to Dickman producing “pornography.”
Dickman’s supporters said the incident was being twisted as a political stunt to make Dickman look bad in the race among four candidates for two board seats.
Weber aimed her anger at Mamott, as well as anyone who used the video to score political points.
Weber added: “So before anyone comes up here and asks why someone still has a job, do me and my family a favor and ask, ‘Why is Brian Mamott still working?’” Village officials issued a statement this week saying that the village “took swift action” against the employee who sang the obscene lyrics.
The statement also said that outside labor counsel hired to investigate the incident “did not reveal any evidence that Mr. Dickman shared the video with anyone other than the stepfather” of the female co-worker, who filed a sexual harassment complaint with the village.
“Regular training is also provided to all employees on this topic, including mandatory annual sexual harassment prevention training. In light of this incident, the Village issued additional sexual harassment training for all Department of Public Works employees. Among other things, this training highlighted the importance of and strategies for intervention,” the village statement said.
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