YOUNGSTOWN — AstroShapes of Struthers has sued Corptemps Staffing of Niles and Eddie L. Crook Jr., alleging that Corptemps referred Crook to AstroShapes for a temporary job and failed to reveal Crook’s criminal record.

Crook was later indicted on felonious assault, accused of punching the woman who was training him how to operate one of the company’s machines. The punch broke the woman’s jaw.

The suit, filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court by attorney Timothy Campbell of Akron, is assigned to Judge John Durkin.

When the newspaper called Corptemps, an unidentfied office employee said the company is “not providing any information at this time” on the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that AstroShapes, an aluminum-extrusion company, entered into a contract with Corptemps in May 2019 for Corptemps to “thoroughly screen and provide Astro with qualified temporary employees.”

It alleges that Corptemps “represented that it conducted thorough background checks on all temporary employment candidates, which included checking the candidates’ criminal history.”

AstroShapes hired Crook as a temporary employee “based upon the information provided and recommendation made by Corptemps to Astro,” the suit states.

On July 5, 2020, Crook injured AstroShapes employee Heather Wilkinson, the suit states. As a result of the injury, the company has been required to pay and will continue to pay medical bills and other costs associated with the injury, the suit states.

Struthers police filed charges against Crook, 28, after the assault. The woman, 33, was training Crook to operate equipment at AstroShapes, according police Chief Tim Roddy. Crook was on parole for an aggravated robbery conviction in 2012, Roddy said. Court records show he was sentenced Aug. 15, 2012, to eight years in prison with credit for 182 days previously served.

The assault broke the woman’s jaw in three places, Roddy said. She was unable to speak to police because of the jaw injury, and they oberved large amounts of blood on the woman’s shirt, hands and face. Roddy said the woman also had other injuries.

Witnesses said Crook punched the woman after the woman “corrected” Crook multiples times on how to operate the machine. Crook left the scene before police arrived. Crook was later arrested on a warrant. His case is pending in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He is in the Mahoning County jail in lieu of bond.

AstroShapes is self insured, the suit notes.

The suit alleges that “Corptemps was negligent in performing its assessment of (Crook) as a viable candidate for a temporary employee position by … failing to complete a thorough background check of (Crook) and/or locating information indicating that (Crook) had a criminal history and/or conducting the proper interview of (Crook) other others and/or by failing to advise Astro of the criminal history of (Crook) known to Corptemps.”

AstroShapes believes the cost to AstroShapes of medical bills and other expense resulting from the injury will exceed $25,000 and seeks damages in that amount, the suit states.

The suit also accuses Corptemps of breaching its contract with AstroShapes and committing fraud by not meeting its requirement that it not provide any candidates who had a conviction for commiting a criminal act or who had a history of violence.

As for Crook, the suit alleges he intentionally and / or recklessly injured Wilkinson. The suit also seeks at least $25,000 in damages against him. He could not be reached to comment.

erunyan@tribtoday.com