A police sergeant from Plantation has retired after being accused of directing sexual innuendo at his female coworkers. Allegedly, the man made rude comments about his coworkers’ buttocks and breasts. The Sun Sentinel claims that the man decided to retire rather quickly because if he had not, he would likely have been terminated.
The police sergeant in question has been internally investigated 17 times during his career at the police station over the last 16 years, and this investigation was the fourth one to be sustained.
Another sergeant from the Plantation police department confirmed that the man is no longer working at the department. The forced retirement is the result of multiple — 10 in total — acts sexual harassment, which created an environment that was offensive to female employees. This was especially the case during the last two years while the supervisor worked on the Road Patrol Traffic Unit. A total of 27 coworkers confirmed that the man was directing sexual harassment toward fellow officers.
The issue first erupted with a complaint that was submitted by a 30-year-old community service aide, who was supervised by the man. She informed investigators that she neither trusted the man, nor wished to be left alone in his presence. The report was corroborated by other officers, saying that the man had a difficult time controlling his mouth around female employees.
It is laudable that the woman in this case stood up for her right to a workplace that is free of this kind of abuse. Indeed, Florida residents should know that they never need to put up with sexual harassment. Indeed, they can file a lawsuit against the employer who can be held responsible for the sexual harassment.
Source: Sun Sentinel, “Sexual harassment claims result in Plantation police sergeant’s forced retirement,” Tonya Alanez, Aug. 26, 2016
