Two
female police officers from North Las Vegas won hefty settlements from
the city Wednesday in cases that alleged sexual harassment, retaliation
and a hostile work environment.
The
City Council voted unanimously to pay $35,000 to Pamela Sword-Franks and
$75,000 to Patricia Willems. Both women are still employed as
police officers in North Las Vegas.
Neither of the women could comment on their settlements, based on
city policy that prevents officers from speaking to the media without
prior consent of the chief of police.
Chief Mark Paresi declined to comment on the settlements and
referred questions to Deputy Chief City Attorney Leslie
Nielson.
"In
making staff's recommendation, we recognized that past Police Department
management was not diligent in recognizing and preventing violations of
the city's policies prohibiting harassment," she
said.
Staff reports to City Council members also said fighting the
federal cases would have cost more than $150,000.
According to Sword-Franks' complaint, she as the subject of
sexual harassment from a variety of male counterparts and supervisors,
including former Police Chief Joey Tillman, who resigned in
October.
"On
at least one occasion, Chief Tillmon commented to (Sword-Franks),
'You're looking good. Must be a new boyfriend, you even have an
extra hop in your step," the complaint states.
Sword-Franks' complaint, filed Jan. 28, also alleges that after
she lost weight, male officers openly flirted with her. But
shortly after she married in January 1998, her supervisor started
receiving complaints about her attitude.
"(Sword-Franks') co-workers were no longer happy about the way
she responded to them and that she refused to give them what they wanted
- sexual and other physical encounters. (She) knew she was going
to be 'punished' for getting married, what she did not understand was
just how far that punishment would go," the complaint
states.
Willem's complaint, filed Dec. 11, outlines allegations of sexual
and age discrimination. Willems claims she was passed over for
promotions based on her age and sex, in at least one instance in favor
of a younger female officer who was less qualified.
"The outrageous acts and course of harassment by the city against
Willems were undertaken with malice and intent to cause her serious
emotional distress," the complaint states.
Nielsen said some of the complaints go back as far as 1992, and
many of the officers accused in the cases no longer work for the
city. But incidents included in Sword-Franks' complaint reported
earlier this year were investigated, and proper disciplinary action was
taken, Nielsen said.
Former North Las Vegas police officer Michael Thomas, who is
suing the city on allegations that officers retaliated against him for
criticizing the police union, blasted administrators for failing to
recognize and prevent such harassment.
"Every time a lawsuit comes up, the same names and the same
supervisors are involved," he said.
In
other business, City Council members approved a $10,000 annual salary
increase for City Manager Kurt Fritsch based on a July employee
evaluation.
WORKING TOGETHER TO ATTAIN
FAIRNESS
