# Female Ill. cop gets nearly $2 mil. for harassment



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Chris Hack 
The Chicago Sun-Times 
Copyright 2006 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

By the time testimony in the three-week trial was over and the case was given to the jury, it was her word against a half-dozen police officers.

Suzanne Barth, Mokena's first female cop, claimed she was subjected to a ceaseless stream of degrading comments by her colleagues. Despite days of testimony from officers who called Barth a liar, the jury in the federal trial quickly sided with her -- declaring she was the victim of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. They awarded her nearly $2 million.

Barth, a 30-year-old native of Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood who now lives in the southwest suburbs, joined the department in 1998. She was warned as early as her days at the police academy that Mokena had never had a female officer and that she was likely in store for a rough time.

"The longer I was there," she said last week, "the more I realized that was true."

After several years, with Barth's complaints about incidents of repeated sexual taunting, fellow cops allegedly refused to provide backup on calls; one sergeant allegedly said he couldn't back her up on a call because he was eating.

She quit in 2002, citing concerns for her own safety.

Not long afterward she filed the federal lawsuit naming the village and three veteran police sergeants.

The village's lawyers have pledged to fight the monetary verdict in a series of court filings that will stretch through the summer. After that, they may turn to appellate courts.

Photo: Suzanne Barth: Safety concerns








_Copyright © 2006 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy _


----------



## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

I think this same thing is going down in W. Stockbridge MA. Sounds almost identical to the news reports I have read.


----------



## copcop (Mar 17, 2006)

they either go out injured or go out suing


----------



## irish937 (Sep 13, 2005)

copcop said:


> they either go out injured or go out suing


You CANNOT be serious.


----------



## EOD1 (Mar 11, 2004)

oh boy, i can see wherre this is going



> Originally Posted by *copcop*
> _they either go out injured or go out suing_
> 
> You CANNOT be serious.


----------



## no$.10 (Oct 18, 2005)

copcop said:


> they either go out injured or go out suing


A thoroughly non "PC" statement, which I do not endorse whatsoever.

However, it would be interesting to see some statistics.


----------



## copcop (Mar 17, 2006)

no$.10 said:


> A thoroughly non "PC" statement, which I do not endorse whatsoever.
> 
> However, it would be interesting to see some statistics.


good idea, lets hear some stats from everyones dept.....I'll start.... 4 female officers.....one quit, one out injured, two quit/fired then won lawsuits..... :martini: :martini: :martini:

Next???


----------



## speccop (Nov 21, 2005)

And how many male officers quit, get fired, or get hurt on the job in your dept. each year? Ya know, just for shits & giggles...


----------



## copcop (Mar 17, 2006)

speccop said:


> And how many male officers quit, get fired, or get hurt on the job in your dept. each year? Ya know, just for shits & giggles...


Good point......but ALL of our lawsuits were from females....


----------



## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

lazy females + lack of preferential treatment = lawsuit.


----------



## SPO123 (Dec 31, 2005)

Let me guess..this thread will go on for....82 pages...


----------



## speccop (Nov 21, 2005)

I'm calling it quits before it gets absolutely rediculous. *Moving on....*


----------



## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

So that means that in at least two cases you guys did a good job of harassing them, right?
:BNANA: =D> :BNANA: =D>



copcop said:


> good idea, lets hear some stats from everyones dept.....I'll start.... 4 female officers.....one quit, one out injured, two quit/fired then won lawsuits..... :martini: :martini: :martini:
> 
> Next???


----------



## adroitcuffs (Jun 3, 2006)

94c said:


> lazy females + lack of preferential treatment = lawsuit.


_lazy males + good ol' boy network = rapid promotion_

Seriously though, I've worked my tail off & earned the respect of my peers. Yes, I have worked with what I call "quota fillers" (from both genders, by the way) and can see why some of you have the perception you have. I very much dislike working with or around those who don't pull their own weight, regardless of gender. I acknowledge that there are many b.s. lawsuits out there. The sad thing is that there are legitimate problems out there that won't be dealt with because of fear of further retaliation. When someone jeopardizes my safety because he doesn't think a female should be on the job, that needs to be dealt with. Yes, I've had to deal w/ my share and no, I didn't file a lawsuit...


----------



## copcop (Mar 17, 2006)

adroitcuffs said:


> _lazy males + good ol' boy network = rapid promotion_
> 
> The sad thing is that there are legitimate problems out there that won't be dealt with because of fear of further retaliation. .....and no, I didn't file a lawsuit...


That is my whole issue, the administration has no balls when it comes to disciplining females. They are too afraid of MCAD suits...I could tell you some stories, both from my department and also from a neighboring dept.....christ we have had females still on FTO who have caused shit storms and made some demands that if they were a male with 15 years on the job, they would have been suspended....

.....don't worry, your still young.....plenty of time for a lawsuit


----------



## adroitcuffs (Jun 3, 2006)

copcop said:


> .....don't worry, your still young.....plenty of time for a lawsuit


Don't worry, I have no intentions of seeking a lawsuit (after all, I'd like to keep my career, thank you). That doesn't mean we don't all have our breaking point. You point out the problem that has made my 17 years on the job even harder... the chicks who use the word _"lawsuit"_ to extract them from their own problem. That kind of experience with females leads guys to paint us all with the same brush. However, don't forget that there are plenty of folks out there who go out of their way to make a female's job harder. I'm blessed that I'm "one of the guys" with group I currently work with but there are a couple of people up the chain (including a female) that have created some hell for me in the past, very likely gender based. I've had blatent problems at previous departments... does your cheesey Lt. walk over & sit in your lap & tell you you're "too cute to be a cop"?

Personally, I want to be known as a good cop, not a good "female" cop... All I ask is that you understand that there's some of us out here!


----------



## copcop (Mar 17, 2006)

adroitcuffs said:


> does your cheesey Lt. walk over & sit in your lap & tell you you're "too cute to be a cop"?
> 
> Personally, I want to be known as a good cop, not a good "female" cop... All I ask is that you understand that there's some of us out here!


You actually sound like a good shit......and your right, I'm sure there are a few of you out there, although personally I have only met one....and unfortunately....she is out injured (legit).

If my LT sat in my lap and told me I was too cute to be a cop....I think we would have some issues - LOL


----------



## Andy0921 (Jan 12, 2006)

we have 2 girls who do a good job and then we have 2 that we could do with out. I know of a town where everyone is pissed at a female cop because she purposely waited until she got promoted to SGT. until she told everyone she was having a baby so that she could be out on maternity leave on SGT pay.


----------



## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

andy0921 said:


> we have 2 girls who do a good job and then we have 2 that we could do with out. I know of a town where everyone is pissed at a female cop because she purposely waited until she got promoted to SGT. until she told everyone she was having a baby so that she could be out on maternity leave on SGT pay.


Thats a smart female PO. If men could do that they would. I am the biggest cave man here but if a female PO or any female is out having a baby then all the power to her. The male officers are just jealous they could not do it. We all know POs are the most jealous people who walk the face of the earth.


----------



## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> Thats a smart female PO. If men could do that they would. I am the biggest cave man here but if a female PO or any female is out having a baby then all the power to her. The male officers are just jealous they could not do it. We all know POs are the most jealous people who walk the face of the earth.


Irish, was your Sergeant standing over your shoulder when you typed this?


----------



## Andy0921 (Jan 12, 2006)

j809 said:


> Irish, was your Sergeant standing over your shoulder when you typed this?


I was thinking the same thing


----------



## MVS (Jul 2, 2003)

copcop said:


> good idea, lets hear some stats from everyones dept.....I'll start.... 4 female officers.....one quit, one out injured, two quit/fired then won lawsuits..... :martini: :martini: :martini:
> 
> Next???


Sounds like Southborough.



adroitcuffs said:


> _lazy males + good ol' boy network = rapid promotion_
> 
> Seriously though, I've worked my tail off & earned the respect of my peers. Yes, I have worked with what I call "quota fillers" (from both genders, by the way) and can see why some of you have the perception you have. I very much dislike working with or around those who don't pull their own weight, regardless of gender. I acknowledge that there are many b.s. lawsuits out there. The sad thing is that there are legitimate problems out there that won't be dealt with because of fear of further retaliation. When someone jeopardizes my safety because he doesn't think a female should be on the job, that needs to be dealt with. Yes, I've had to deal w/ my share and no, I didn't file a lawsuit...


Great point! I've worked with females and they _can_ do the job. I know one female that can kick some serious ass and she's not ripped or "butch". I get more pissed at the lazy bastards that rather sit in the station or in the cruiser in a corner somewhere and do nothing.


----------

