The former executive director of the General Richard Butler Vagabonds Junior Drum and Bugle Corps is suing the nonprofit for unpaid wages in a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday, Aug. 20.

Melissa Frederick claims Vagabonds owes her $18,600 in back pay for work she performed over the course of about a year.

According to the lawsuit, filed by Lutz Pawk & Black of Butler, Frederick was hired by the center in 2018.

For an agreed upon salary of $600 per week, some of her responsibilities included booking the Vagabonds’ Hall for events, coordinating and supervising weekly Bingo Night, making bank deposits, paying the ongoing bills for the building and property and coordinating maintenance.

But according to Frederick, Vagabonds began missing wage payments to her in early May 2023. After repeated demands to be paid went unfilled, Frederick resigned in late May 2024 due to nonpayment of wages.

According to the lawsuit, Frederick is requesting a total amount in excess of $35,000.

The Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law permits an employee to bring a private cause of action against an employer to recover unpaid wages owed to him or her.

Earlier this month, the county’s prothonotary’s office issued a writ of execution to serve Vagabonds with two mortgage default judgments.

The center, located at 138 Whitestown Road in Lyndora, will be placed on the sheriff sale list in November, according to Butler Sheriff Mike Slupe.

A lawyer representing Frederick did not respond to a request for comment.