Desmarteau v. City of Wichita, Kan.

64 F. Supp. 2d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14987, 83 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 687, 1999 WL 781782
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedAugust 12, 1999
Docket97-1412-WEB
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 64 F. Supp. 2d 1067 (Desmarteau v. City of Wichita, Kan.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Desmarteau v. City of Wichita, Kan., 64 F. Supp. 2d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14987, 83 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 687, 1999 WL 781782 (D. Kan. 1999).

Opinion

Memorandum and Order

BROWN, Senior District Judge.

This matter is before the court on the defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 48). Both parties have submitted briefs on the motion. The court finds oral argument would not assist in deciding the issues presented.

I.Factual Background.

Plaintiff, a former police officer of the City of Wichita, alleges a claim against the City for sexual harassment and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, together with state law claims of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent retention of an employee. Plaintiff contends she was harassed by a supervising officer and that the City is liable for the harm she suffered as a result of the harassment. She also contends that various employees of the City retaliated against her after she filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Kansas Human Rights Commission.

In keeping with the standards governing summary judgment, the following facts are uncontroverted or, when controverted, are viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Immaterial facts and factual averments not supported by the record are omitted. 1

1. Plaintiff went through the police academy in 1991 and was a police officer for the City of Wichita.

2. In the Wichita Police Department, the chain of command from bottom to top is as follows: police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, colonel (deputy chief), and the chief of police at the top.

3. The City of Wichita has a policy against sexual harassment; it is an administrative regulation of the City.

4. Plaintiff was aware that the City of Wichita had a policy against sexual harassment. Plaintiff attended a Sexual Harassment training class conducted by the City of Wichita’s Personnel Office on April 23, 1992. The class covered the City’s policy against sexual harassment.

5. Plaintiff was aware that the City of Wichita had an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officer, and knew that her name was “Miss Johnson.”

6. The Wichita Police Department’s own EEO officers are Becky Miller and Teri Moses.

7. Roger Williamson is the only employee of defendant who ever engaged in conduct Lori Desmarteau believes constituted sexual harassment. The plaintiff alleges that other officers retaliated against her for her reporting of Williamson’s alleged conduct.

8. The first incident plaintiff recalls was when Roger Williamson told plaintiff she looked really nice and that he liked redheads. Plaintiff does not recall when or where this happened.

9. Plaintiff never told Roger Williamson she did not like him making such *1071 comments. Plaintiff testified that when Williamson made such comments she would change the subject back to idle chatter, away from herself.

10. According to plaintiff, Roger Williamson told her he liked her in glasses with no makeup, and she responded by saying “thank you.”

11. Lori Desmarteau and Roger Williamson sometimes discussed their personal lives.

12. Lori Desmarteau and Roger Williamson were both having marital problems and began discussing them in May, 1995. Plaintiff was uncomfortable discussing her personal life with Mr. Williamson and would often change the subject to Mr. Williamson’s personal life when he would make comments that made her feel uncomfortable.

13. Roger Williamson told Lori Des-marteau, probably early in May, 1995, that he was having problems at home with his wife; she was cold, unappreciative, and did not like to have sex.

14. Lori Desmarteau described to Roger Williamson her relationship with her estranged husband as “like World War IIP’ and was concerned about being in a domestic violence situation.

15. Plaintiff discussed her sex life with Roger Williamson.

' 16. Plaintiff has heard and told dirty jokes of a sexual nature at work in the presence of Roger Williamson. Plaintiff is comfortable with these jokes in the workplace.

17. Lori Desmarteau and Roger Williamson both made sexual quips.

18. One night plaintiff came to work, and, because she had had marital problems at home, Roger Williamson told her to sit at Truesdell Junior High School, relax, get something to eat, and manufacture a daily activity report showing that she had worked. Plaintiff did this.

19. According to plaintiff, Roger Williamson told plaintiff she “owed him” for letting her sit at Truesdell, but he did not say what she owed him.

20. According to the plaintiff, after she had an accident in a police car, Roger Williamson asked her to meet him at a room at the Airport Hilton, while both were working. (He was a part-time employee of the hotel and she was on-duty at the time.) Once there, Roger Williamson gave plaintiff a form saying she was exonerated from all fault that but her penance was to “give him a blow job, clad in black garters and stockings.” She tried to laugh it off and left.

21. According to Roger Williamson, he wrote a joke report about Desmarteau wrecking the car. Williamson showed Lori Desmarteau the real report and the joke report about the traffic accident at the same time, and they laughed about it.

22. According to plaintiff, sometime between May and September, 1995, Williamson asked to meet plaintiff at the Hilton. When she arrived, he rubbed her shoulders and tried to kiss her. When he tried to kiss her, she said, “I gotta go” and left.

23. Plaintiff never told Roger Williamson she did not want to be kissed.

24. Roger Williamson never tried to kiss plaintiff again.

25. Roger Williamson denies ever kissing Lori Desmarteau.

26. Plaintiff claims she was walking down the hallway at Patrol West when Roger Williamson took his radio antenna and rubbed it up her backside, between her legs.

27. After Roger Williamson ran the antenna up plaintiffs back, she turned and told him to quit.

28. According to plaintiff, Roger Williamson told plaintiff she looked good enough to eat, but plaintiff does not recall the circumstances of the comment.

29. According to Roger Williamson, before July 3, 1995, when plaintiff walked near Roger Williamson, she would say, “You smell good enough to eat.”

30. According to Roger Williamson, one morning about 10:30 a.m., Lori Des- *1072 marteau called Williamson at home and told him she was at Dillard’s shopping for some new perfume. About 11:30-11:45 p.m., Lori Desmarteau went to Roger Williamson’s office and asked to come in and close the door. She sat in the chair across from his desk and asked whether he was mad at her because he had not said anything about her new perfume. When Roger Williamson said he had not smelled it, Lori Desmarteau walked around the desk to him so he could smell it.

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64 F. Supp. 2d 1067, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14987, 83 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 687, 1999 WL 781782, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/desmarteau-v-city-of-wichita-kan-ksd-1999.