Billings, Mont. – A sheriff’s officer has received a demotion and put on unpaid leave for sexually harassing a co-worker. And this isn’t the first allegation of harassment he has faced.
The woman claims that she endured the harassment since she began working for the sheriff’s department in 2009.
Sgt. David McCollum made comments unwanted comments to a female officer. According to the woman, McCollum, who has authority over her, but is not her direct supervisor, repeatedly asked the woman if she dated married men and once told her he was “well-endowed.” When speaking to charging party, he would look at her breasts instead of her face. He also once made a sexual reference to her regarding the department’s Christmas tree.
McCollum was accused of making sexually charged comments to other employees over 15 years ago.
An investigator found that McCollum’s actions created a hostile work environment for the woman. The woman has not involved a sexual harassment attorney at this time.
The department demoted McCollum and he is ineligible for a promotion for the next two years. He was also ordered to take sexual harassment training. He was also put on unpaid leave while the allegations were being investigated.
The main objective of sexual harassment lawyers is to assure that their clients are not subjected to a hostile working environment.
The investigator also warned the department to make certain the employee and the twenty witnesses were not retaliated against. A large number of cases are filed by sexual harassment lawyers because their clients were fired for reporting the harassment.
