A UVM employee accused of watching pornography at work will be used as evidence in a lawsuit against the University.

The University’s lawyers tried to block the evidence from being used in former employee Cindy Ruescher’s lawsuit, according to court documents. 

The employee in question was Ruescher’s hiring manager, and the evidence will be used to prove that UVM created a hostile work environment, according to court documents.

Ruescher is suing UVM for gender discrimination and her dismissal after submitting a complaint to the University, according to a press release from Ruescher’s lawyer Siobhan McCloskey.

A hostile work environment is one of eight complaints that McCloskey has filed against UVM, according to court documents

McCloskey submitted evidence about the employee accused of watching porn as part of her case against UVM, McCloskey said.

McCloskey refused to say how the employee was related to Ruescher’s case.

UVM’s legal defense team filed a motion to waive this piece of evidence from being used in court, the documents stated.

Roger A. Mello, the Superior Court judge presiding over the case, denied the motion, the documents stated.

The evidence will appear at the trial, though changes may be made during the proceedings, the documents stated.

“These are provisional rulings, and the court may modify them during trial depending on the evidence presented,” the documents stated.

McCloskey would not comment on the identity of the employee in question, nor whether they received any repercussions.