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2/6--An Islip Town employee has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the town, charging that she was harassed and accused of being an alcoholic because of a hand tremor that was actually the result of strokes.

The complaint filed by Judith Lambiase, 47, in U.S. District Court in Central Islip says supervisors smelled her breath, followed her car on her lunch break, scrutinized her time sheets, excluded her from projects and denied her a promotion.

Starting in January 2007, the document charges, Lambiase's supervisors in the parks and recreation department and the office of emergency management subjected her to intense scrutiny because they believed her to be an alcoholic.

Many of the charges focus on George Schimpf, 58, executive assistant to the acting commissioner of parks and recreation. Lambiase worked as secretary to the commissioner. She started working for the town in another position in 1998.

According to the complaint, Schimpf told colleagues that Lambiase's hand shook because she had a substance abuse problem. One day in January 2007, as Lambiase was leaving work for lunch, Schimpf followed her into the parking lot and drove behind her car, on a route he did not normally take, the complaint states.

The document says that on other occasions, he peered into her unoccupied personal car and the vehicle she used for town business. Reached by phone yesterday, Schimpf said, "Everything she said is untrue."

The complaint also names K.G. Smith-O'Bannon, 63, acting commissioner of parks and recreation, who has since retired. "On many occasions, KG moved close to plaintiff's body to smell her breath," the complaint states. Neither Smith-O'Bannon nor her attorney responded to messages yesterday.

Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan, also named in the suit, declined to comment. According to the complaint, after Lambiase filed a notice of intent to sue in May 2007, Nolan told Lambiase's ex-husband, "She didn't have to sue me to get a promotion."   (NOW WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, JUST A DONATION?)

In November 1999, Lambiase suffered strokes that caused speech impairment and tremors in her hand, according to the federal court complaint. Her speech impairment resolved itself, but the hand tremor remained, according to the complaint.

SEXUAL HARRASSMENT CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST REGINA DUFFY, TOWN CLERK BY AN EMPLOYEE.

FEDERAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED BY EMPLOYEES FOR VARIOUS NUMBER OF CHARGES TO ISLIP TOWN HALL AND VARIOUS MANGEMENT PERSONNEL.