The former business manager for a biomedical waste management company has sued the company claiming its owner was obsessed with her and sent her numerous unwanted texts with sexual overtones, leaving her no choice but to resign.

Those texts, outlined in the civil federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on behalf of Susan Suckley, says BioServ Inc. owner Richard Ragaini was very explicit in the unwanted texts.

“I have loved you from afar a long time,” one message reads. “I cannot spend the amount of time with you that I would love to. I could spend every day for the rest of my life with you.”

In that same text, Suckley alleged Ragaini said the two are “soulmates,” but her attorney says the woman had no desire to have a romantic relationship with her employer.

“I would wake up and be holding the person I love to my soul,” Suckley alleged Ragaini said in another text. “I would think how wonderful life is with you next to me. Quietly, I would rise so not to disturb the sleeping beauty.”

Ragaini, according to the lawsuit, also sent one text to Suckley the day after she resigned in September 2018. That message allegedly said: “Never meant to hurt you in any way, not now or ever. Please accept my apology if I did unwittingly cause you harm. I love you and respect you very much. I only want good for you and your life.”

The sexual harassment and gender discrimination lawsuit claims Ragaini, owner of the Prospect-based company, not only sent Suckley text messages and gave her unwanted gifts, but also arrived unannounced at her Woodbury home two days after she resigned in September 2018.

The lawsuit alleges Ragaini, 62, also followed Suckley in his car from Woodbury to Plymouth. The pursuit, the lawsuit says, did not stop until the Plymouth police pulled Ragaini over and arrested him. The files in the case are sealed so the charges against Ragaini aren't visible, but the lawsuit says the business owner was in violation of a “no contact order” Suckley had requested.

The woman who answered the phone at BioServ Monday said she'd relay to Ragaini that the Connecticut Law Tribune was seeking to talk to him. At presstime, Ragaini had not responded. And his attorney, Ed Lynch Jr. of New Britain-based Anderson, Reynolds & Lynch, declined to comment.

Suckley, according to the lawsuit, began working in 2012 for BioServ, which has offices in four states, is headquartered in Prospect and has about 13 employees in its Connecticut's office, according to its website. She resigned in September 2018.

According to Suckley's attorney, Shelton-based solo practitioner Anthony Pantuso III, Ragaini's alleged harassment began in the last few months of Suckley's employment with the company.

“The owner was obsessed with her. It was pretty much nonstop,” Pantuso told the Connecticut Law Tribune Monday. “It was definitely creepy and something that is appallingly inappropriate from an employer.”

Pantuso said Suckley, who in addition to being the business manager also ran the Human Resources Department, “had a good position with the company, but she felt she had no choice but to resign.” He said his client is working as a bookkeeper and “earning substantially less than she was at BioServ.”

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as damages for emotional distress, loss of self-esteem and consequential damages. It also seeks attorney fees.