Female Police Officers Settle Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $5 Million

For those who think sexual harassment is a thing of the past, consider this: The Oakland Tribune reported today that 14 female police officers settled a harassment lawsuit with the Hayward Police Department near San Francisco for close to $5 million.

According to the article written by Eric Kurhi, the lawsuit alleged "...the Police Department had an atmosphere in which many males considered their jobs to be 'men's work,' and openly expressed the opinion that women were unfit to wield power or authority. Also, 'female officers are encouraged to make themselves sexually available to men in the department,' and 'a discriminatory culture exists in which female employees are regarded as "fair game" for potential sexual conquests.'

The suit also alleged female cops who accepted the sexual advances were favored for promotions, women who complained suffered retaliation, and lesbian officers were "targeted for conversion." In addition, claims of harassment against one female officer included her being shown a videotape of her husband -- also a cop -- having sex with a dispatcher.

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Welcome to SHADES OF BLUE

Hi. This is the very first entry. My hope is that this blog will serve as a living history, a chance for female officers to share their stories and experiences. In the coming months, I will post reviews of my new book, A Different Shade of Blue: How Women Changed the Face of Police Work. I will also include stories posted elsewhere on the web that concern women police officers, and will add stories as they are submitted to my blog.