Cicero Police Officer Sues Over Alleged Sexual Harrassment And Sexual Assaults By Supervisors
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A part-time Cicero police officer is suing the town and three male supervisors, claiming she was sexually harassed, and sexually assaulted by two superior officers.
Auxiliary Officer Nadia Bull claims in her federal lawsuit that the harassment began with her first interview with the department in early 2017, and continues to this day.
According to Bull's lawsuit, male colleagues repeatedly told her she was "too pretty" and "too nice" to be a police officer, and that she would "have to become a bitch."
Bull also claimed supervisors repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances, catcalled her in front of other officers, demanded she send them pictures of herself, sent her explicitly sexual text messages, and degraded her ability to do her job, because she is a woman.
The lawsuit accuses three different male supervisors of repeated sexual harassment.
The officer claimed two different supervisors told her she would be promoted to a full-time position in exchange for sex.
According to the lawsuit, one supervisor insisted she meet him at her home to discuss a possible promotion, and then dragged her into her bedroom and sexually assaulted her. Afterward, he allegedly threatened to have her fired if she filed a complaint.
Another supervisor allegedly showed up at her home uninvited, groped her and fondled himself in front of her, despite her repeatedly saying no. He allegedly said her job would be in jeopardy if she complained.
When she did complain about the harassment and discrimination, other supervisors allegedly told her the complaints were not a surprise, because the harassers "were known 'creeps,'" but nothing was done about the problem.
"Even continuing into 2019, Plaintiff has endured male co-workers mocking Plaintiff's sexual harassment complaints, making sexual jokes, gyrating or "humping" a desk, and making moaning sounds as though he was having an orgasm," the lawsuit stated.
After Bull took her complaints to Cook County prosecutors, a town attorney allegedly told her she was being "disruptive to the workplace," and she was prohibited from filing additional complaints, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and a court order requiring Cicero to take effective steps to prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
