Officer sues the Bellevue Police Dept. for 'unlawful retaliation'
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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A Bellevue police officer who's suing the department claims a fellow officer created a hostile work environment by speaking openly -- and graphically -- about the his sexual exploits.
Officer Jan Auclair Trizuto filed a 10-page complaint in U.S. District Court Friday. In it, she claims she and a fellow officer were alone in a patrol car when he began speaking about his sexual experiences, including a detailed description of his body.
She said the same officer then began sending her inappropriate and offensive text messages.
She didn't report the incidents because she feared she would become a target of retaliation. She later confided in a lieutenant, who reported the incident against her wishes.
That's when she said her supervisor retaliated against her with threats of discipline and public ridicule, including belittling her in front of coworkers.
Trizuto's allegations come after a rocky year for the Bellevue Police Department. It was just a few months ago that two members of the command staff were demoted for extramarital affairs. Last fall, two BPD officers were disciplined for drunken behavior at CenturyLink Field during a Seahawks game.
Trizuto's attorney said the lawsuit will be served this week. A spokeswoman for the Bellevue Police Department had no comment on the suit.
Officer Jan Auclair Trizuto filed a 10-page complaint in U.S. District Court Friday. In it, she claims she and a fellow officer were alone in a patrol car when he began speaking about his sexual experiences, including a detailed description of his body.
She said the same officer then began sending her inappropriate and offensive text messages.
She didn't report the incidents because she feared she would become a target of retaliation. She later confided in a lieutenant, who reported the incident against her wishes.
That's when she said her supervisor retaliated against her with threats of discipline and public ridicule, including belittling her in front of coworkers.
Trizuto's allegations come after a rocky year for the Bellevue Police Department. It was just a few months ago that two members of the command staff were demoted for extramarital affairs. Last fall, two BPD officers were disciplined for drunken behavior at CenturyLink Field during a Seahawks game.
Trizuto's attorney said the lawsuit will be served this week. A spokeswoman for the Bellevue Police Department had no comment on the suit.
Good luck to her! The Bellevue Police Department is full of low caliber cops. Officer A Hanke, that disgrace mentioned in the video, who was involved in the Seahawks incident, continues to be aggressive when dealing with citizens and predetermines scenarios before asking others.
This is what happens when malicious gossip gets out of hand. If she didn't want to get her co worker in trouble she should of kept her mouth shut. Maybe she's not a team player and needs to find another line of work.
Every five years somewhere around thirty to fifty percent of police officers should be thanked and excused to return to civilian life. I think only the best of the best should be allowed to make a career in law enforcement. I think unless you're very special the nature of the job will make turn you into a jerk - unless you're already one, as we see here
Those of you who are berating this woman for filing a lawsuit are disgusting. NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT THIS WOMAN HAS GONE THROUGH. Sounds like her life has been made miserable at work which is NOT ok. Seems she had a damn good reason to not report what had been happening, because of the people in positions of power.Â
No one knows yet if the intent of her lawsuit is financial gain or so justice is served. Either way, SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO SO! Absolutely NO ONE should have to have a hostile work environment. Â
Sounds like the Bellevue Police Dept is out of control and needs major re-staffing.Â
@Tattooed_Angel2Â
Actually, there are a LOT of people who do KNOW.....
They know that a large investigation was conducted years ago regarding her sexual harassment claim, which resulted in a finding that no sexual harassment occurred. They know that an officer was punished for having an innapropriate trainer/student relationship with her, but that again, no sexual harassment occurred. They know in this case that she was intitiating sexual conversation and making numerous unsolicited phone calls to the person she was "afraid" of. They know that she is not a hard worker nor is she a fine example of what a law enforcement officer should be. They know that she often greets members of the public with a rude overbearing attitude and a solid chip on her shoulder. They know that she has a filthy/perverted/inappropriate mouth that may at times cause others to blush. They know that she didn't make a complaint of this so called 'retaliation' until she was being counseled for her poor work performance, which had nothing to do with the past report of sexual harassment. They know that she likes to show off her tattoo which is located in a place that is inappropriate for most others to see. They know that it is not a good idea to speak with her in the same manner which she speaks to them or others because they might be named in a frivolous law suit filed in District Court. Is that enough?
I hate to break it to the general public, but women can use things like this because they don't know how else to handle their emotions. I'm not saying that she is lying, but to start attacking the Bellevue Police Department because of one person's account of what happened is just ridiculous. There are always two sides to every story. In this case, it's her side, the other police officer, and the Lieutenant. For all we know, she just mentioned it to the Lieutenant and he reported it.  I had an employer bust a coworker for a dirty joke he told me that I actually thought was funny. I had no problem with it,  but my employer took me into his office and assured me that it wouldn't hapen again.   Maybe that's what happened here and now she's mad about it because of what the other officers think. I'm not saying she is lying. Just saying...look ta it from diferent perspectives before casting judgement.Â
@refinneJ Hello, the 1950's called, they want their caveman back.
@refinneJÂ The Bellevue Police Dept has been under attack for a few months now and NOT because of this woman.
@Tattooed_Angel2 I know. Which is why it's so easy for people to attack this time around without considering all the facts and possibilities. It also makes people jump to conclusions and assume that the the story is completely true and credible.Â
glad her name isn't Jan Auclair DORNER...
"she didn't report the incident" which violates bpd policy and therefore SHE should be fired.
Sounds like BPD needs changes from the top down.
and to all you little boys out there; this is not the way men talk to each other. Any "man" that thinks they do is really in need of psychiatric help.
I know of many men AND women that talk the same way that are perfectly normal, successful people. Also, BPD is one of the most highly decorated police departments in the state. They don't need reform. Out of the hundreds of police officers, the actions of a few don't warrant a complete reform. People are human. The officers that made a mistake should be held accountable, but that doesn't mean the rest of the police department is corrupt. Maybe we should replace all police officers with robots too?
@refinneJÂ We already did.
That makes me a very sad panda.
So, how come the alleged victim is not suing for sexual harassment but rather, for "Unlawful Retaliation?"
@Getov Mylon
Sexual harassment, when reported, should result in immediate action being taken.That action could be talking to the perpetrator and writing them up, to dismissal of the perpetrator.The action should be appropriate and effective.Any action less than dismissal, for a second violation, could be deemed ineffective and could result in legal action.The problem here is that, not only was no action taken to stop it, but they went even further and the victim was now being harassed for reporting.That is a whole level of violation beyond just simple sexual harassment.It is in fact two violations.One they must investigate and take appropriate action.This is required by law and was not done.Second, retaliation for reporting a workplace violation is also against the law and demonstrates a complete disregard, not only of the law, but of the victimsâ rights.The only redress is legal action in that case.
Because she probably contributed to the conversation in the patrol car.
so who's gonna pay? bs if it's the police dept. If she has to go after his money then by all means go for it. i think she is looking for the deep pockets.......
@Maddogmurph Where does it say in the article that the intent of her lawsuit is financial?Â
@Tattooed_Angel2 either you are naive or trolling.......how often does someone sue for something other than $$$. do you think she just wants an apology?
Bellevue police. Only the best and brightest need apply.
Unless you are a drunkard with really juicy sex stories.
BPD is actually one of the hardest departments to get into...
"TO SERVE AND PROTECT."Â IT IS OBVIOUS TO THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER, THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS, IF NOT MANY POLICE DEPTS.
I'm completely sickened by the amount of comments basically saying that her story sounds strange, unusual, or that she shouldn't have reported it.Â
This sort of thing isn't unusual, it happens quite often. Many women just find another job rather then trying to talk to management or HR in any job because it isn't work the risk that the management will basically crap on your case and either ignore it or make life worse for you.Â
It all sounds fishy to me.
Why didn't she just arrest him?
Fire the offending officer and the supervisor. Retaliation in the workplace is not to be tolerated.
I am disgusted that so many of the posters are blaming the victim or saying she should man up. Lets assume your straight and alone with another guy who decides to talk about his prick and/or your cute little ass? You comfortable? You going to take it? Now you report it and are mocked by your supervisor. Appropriate or should you just buck up?
@PBFloyd THERE APPEARS TO BE NO SENSE OF CIVILITY, DECORM IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.
Here we go again.
Well, text messages should provide enough evidence, now, shouldn't they?Â
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power to corrupt absolutely. A principle being demonstrated on police force after police force these days.
Wow, calling out a bad apple in the BPD is rather comical, I didn't think there were even allowed to have bullets...
I guess I must have missed something earlier.In the regular business world, had an employee reported this type of action to me, even if they did not report to me, I would have had no choice but to report it to HR.Failure to do something would have left my company wide open to all sort of legal action.It sounds like the Lieutenant did exactly what had to be done.Had it come out later that he/she was aware and had done nothing it would have really left the department open.If the officers supervisor behaved as described in the article, then the department should be in deep trouble.What I am reading is the victim being ripped up as some opportunist.Where in the article does it say she did not report the issue?It seems she did report it and now is being vilified just as she feared.It sound to me like she knew the sort of workplace she was in, and was justifiably concerned about doing anything to make it stop.
Â@oldster70 WHAT happens when the few good cops leave?
some president once said when people can vote themselves free money it's over. this lawsuit created by a "victim" illustrates that point.
she saw dollar signs. otherwise she would have simply reported it immediatly, as BPD policy requires. she was after all armed with a GUN.
@dorimonsonfan DISLIKE
@dorimonsonfan Where does it say that the intent of the lawsuit is financial? NOT ALL LAWSUITS ARE ABOUT MONEY, PEOPLE!Â
This "victim" is a WOMAN that was harassed, belittled, and had her life made MISERABLE at work. NO ONE deserves to be treated that way AT ALL, ESPECIALLY at their job.Â
I'm sure you wouldn't be putting "victim" in quotes if that was your mother, your wife, your sister... then again, who knows. Maybe you ARE a d-bag, like you come across, and thinks it's ok to treat people like trash.
@Tattooed_Angel2Â Â Â My problem is that she didn't report it whan it happened. and when she finally did report it, she didn't want the person she told to tell any one else. The department can't fix or remedy a problem it doesn't know about. As for the retaliation once it did become public, she definitely did not deserve that. But then again, at this point we only have HER side of the story.
@dorimonsonfan Oh... so she should just lay down, spread her legs and endure it like a good "conservative", is that it, Dori?
@JLS1950Â Bill Clinton did NOT have unwanted sexual relations with those women.
@JLS1950Â You have that backwards. The effects of St. Paddy's Day, doncha know.
@Getov Mylon Getov Mylon thinks his grass is actually green and his poop is fine perfume. Apparently.
@JLS1950Â Ted Kennedy did NOT let that woman drown while running to find a lawyer.
@JLS1950Â Al Gore did NOT assault that massage therapist.
1) you tell the guy talking smack to quit. You don't appreciate the topic of conversation.
2) if it doesn't immediately stop; you report it to your supervisor & have them deal with it- that's part of their job description.
3) If it continues further or there is retaliation; THEN you proceed with all legal options available.
Officer Trizuto, you make me sad to be a fellow female cop.
@Content_People  I mentioned that process and was accused of "blaming the victim." Thanks for the backup!Â
Did she ever tell the "fellow officer" she was not interested? If she did, she should have stood her ground immediately. If she didn't, tough luck. The law suit is very questionable.
@Komo Dragon ... talking about "sexual" things at work is against policy and violates the code of ethics. She shouldn't have to tell him anything. He should know it's not permitted.Â
Seriously people. I can't see for one second how anyone can question this woman who was subjected to a hostile work environment. Maybe all the neigh sayers should be subjected to some sexual harassment and see how they like it. Do unto others and you'd have them do unto you.Â
@1sh0t1kill @Komo Dragon I have been, stopped the person immediately and it did not cross my mind to sue and milk the system.