A 16-year-old Adams County girl has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a local ice cream business of sex discrimination and retaliation after she reported alleged harassment by a male co-worker, according to court documents.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, says the girl began working part time in August 2025 as an ice cream associate for a Ripleigh’s Creamery food truck. The complaint alleges that after the girl told co-workers she was homeschooled and Catholic, a male co-worker began making threats and unwanted advances, including saying he knew where she lived, that he would find her and that he would kiss her.
According to the complaint, the harassment escalated in October when the boy sent her an anonymous text message saying, “I’m going to kiss you on your lips when I find you.” The lawsuit says he later admitted the message came from his “new number” and told the girl he was trying to get a reaction and “prepare her for the real world.”
The suit also alleges the boy repeatedly asked for a hug after the messages upset her and then hugged her anyway as she was leaving work, despite her refusal.
The girl’s mother reported the conduct as sexual harassment to the business the next day and asked that the two teenagers not be scheduled together again, according to the lawsuit. The complaint says the mother then sent a written report outlining the alleged harassment.
Instead of separating the employees, the lawsuit says the owner replied that she expected boys and girls to work together and not let “hormones get in the way.” The complaint alleges the girl was fired within hours of the report, with the owner saying it was in the company’s “best interest to avoid further conflict.”
The lawsuit accuses Ripleigh’s Creamery of violating civil rights law through sex discrimination and retaliation. It seeks lost wages and other damages.
The complaint says the business expanded in recent years from its original location in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to locations in Pennsylvania, including McSherrystown and East York. The lawsuit identifies Laura Maring as the legal owner and operator.
