Veteran Ind. detective files sex harassment suit
ASsociated press October 12, 2012 10:14AM
Updated: October 12, 2012 11:35PM
FORT WAYNE — Male police officers in Fort Wayne invited a female detective to watch pornographic videos, used obscene names and gestures in her presence and kept a sex toy as a “mascot,” the woman claimed in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit.
Bridget Glaser sued the police department in federal court in Fort Wayne, claiming her civil rights were violated. Neither her attorneys nor attorneys representing the northeast Indiana city immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday.
The lawsuit notes that the department’s officers include nearly 400 men and only 50 women and says Glaser — who has been on the force for nearly 20 years and a detective for 10 years — complained to superiors in 2010 that female officers were treated like “second-class citizens.”
According to her lawsuit, a police sergeant pressured Glaser to view his personal collection of digital pornography and another sergeant kept a sex toy on his desk that was rotated around the office and at least once placed on Glaser’s chair. The male officers routinely used the toy as a prop for obscene jokes and used it to simulate sex acts, the lawsuit claims. It says the toy was referred to as “the office mascot.”
The sex toy was removed from the office shortly before Glaser met with Police Chief Rusty York in April to complain about her colleagues’ behavior, the lawsuit says. A Fort Wayne police spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment from York.
Glaser’s lawsuit says male officers continued to make obscene comments and jokes even after her meeting with the chief.
The lawsuit claims the men’s behavior created a hostile work environment. Glaser is seeking unspecified damages and a court order barring future harassment.
