Female deputy sues sheriff’s office for discrimination, harassment

A 14-year veteran of the Lake County sheriff’s office has filed a federal lawsuit against the office claiming she has been subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination on the job.

The move by Deputy Heather Aldridge comes after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reviewed her complaints and issued her the go-ahead to sue in February.

Lt. Christopher Thompson, a sheriff’s office spokesman, said Monday he could not address any specific allegation in the suit, but did say the office has a “zero tolerance policy” toward discrimination of any kind.

“Any charge of sexual or other harassment is aggressively investigated and, if substantiated, is appropriately punished,” Thompson said. “One of the top priorities of Sheriff (Mark) Curran’s administration has been the recruitment and promotion of female and minority employees.”

Since Curran’s election as sheriff in 2006, the office has hired eight female deputy sheriffs and 18 female correction officers, and the top two positions in the corrections division are held by females, Thompson said.

Aldridge, one of two females previously assigned as a canine handler and currently working in court security, alleges in the suit that fellow officers and some of superior rank subjected her to sexual harassment. It included name calling, requests for sexual favors and inappropriate touching on the job, the suit states.

Aldridge also claims in the suit a newly hired female officer, who is not named in the suit, was subjected to unwanted sexual advances by a fellow male trainee while attending the police training academy in Springfield.

Aldridge said she has been subjected to unwarranted disciplinary warnings and other negative actions by her superiors beginning after she filed her complaint with the EEOC and continuing to the present time.

When the dogs she and another female deputy were handling were retired because of their age, Aldridge alleges neither woman was assigned a new dog as is the custom with male deputies. The other female deputy is not named as a plaintiff in the suit.

The result of Aldridge’s reassignment from canine duty in 2009, according to the lawsuit, was a substantial loss of additional pay and prestige within the office.

The suit seeks compensatory damages of $43,000, the amount of income she says she lost after being relieved of canine duty, her reinstatement as a canine officer and whatever other relief the court deems appropriate.

Thompson said the office had not received formal notice of the suit as of Monday, and no trial date has been set.