When you think of police officers you often think of individuals with pristine scruples, dedicated to protecting residents of whichever city they may reside in. However, what’s frightening is that even those individuals are often involved in less than desirable workplace behavior. There have been numerous recorded instances of sexual harassment among police officers, and a recent story focuses on an ongoing case in the Chicago Police Department.

First off, it’s important to know what constitutes sexual harassment. Any repeated unwanted sexual advances, whether they are verbal, physical, textual, or media based, can warrant a sexual harassment charges, especially if the perpetrator has been made aware that the actions are unwelcome. The first step to take after having told the person about the nature of the advances is to report the harassment through any internal mechanism provided by the company. Whether that means telling a supervisor or the Human Resources manager, it’s vital to report it to someone within the company, preferably with backing evidence. If this approach fails, Southern California residents shouldn’t hesitate to call a sexual harassment lawyer in Orange County.

With that in mind, the nature of the actions of the Chicago Police Department can be understood more fully. The Chicago police department has been hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit after former secretary Marie Marerro claimed that her ex-boss, an attorney in the Fraternal Order of Police, behaved inappropriately. Ms. Marerro claims that the supervisor made very explicit comments regarding her body, requested topless images, frequently invited her to view pornography, and a request to attend an event in the nude. What’s worse, the police department fired Ms. Marerro while she was on maternity leave. Her attorney, David Lee, claims the termination was due to her complaints regarding the harassment and was in fact a retaliatory act. The department even used a tape, that Ms. Marerro had provided as evidence of her harassment, against her, claiming she had doctored it.

The initial lawsuit was actually filed by the Police department, for complaining to the Illinois Human Rights Department and the EEOC. Ms. Marerro then counter-sued for sexual harassment incurred, with the request that she was owed back pay and to get her job back. The suit has yet to be played out and will do so in the coming months. If you ever feel like you’ve become a victim of sexual harassment, don’t hesitate to contact a sexual harassment lawyer in Orange County as soon as possible. The lawyer will be able to sort out the evidence of your case and make a viable claim. Call a sexual harassment lawyer in Orange County today and see how they can help you!