MARYLAND – The U.S. Department of Justice settled a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed against the Queen Anne County Sheriff by a woman who claimed she was, over a number of years, subjected to unwanted sexual conduct, officials announced Thursday.
The lawsuit filed by Kristy Murphy-Taylor said that several supervisors in the Sheriff’s Office, including the Sheriff’s brother, subjected her to severe sexual harassment and later retaliated against her when she filed a formal complaint, according to authorities.
Murphy-Taylor alleged that she was subjected to repeated incidents of unwanted sexual touching by the Sheriff’s brother, according to authorities.
Officials said Ms. Murphy- Taylor will receive $250,000 as damages. She will also get $620,000 in backpay, future pay, and attorney’s fees.
“No woman should have to face losing her job in order to be free from sexual harassment and retaliation at work,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating sex discrimination in the workplace. The resolution of this lawsuit ensures that the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office will comply with federal law requiring employers to take prompt and effective corrective action to complaints of sexual harassment.”
Also named in the lawsuit is the state of Maryland and Queen Anne’s County. The county agreed to provide oversight and investigative functions for the handling of complaints of sexual harassment and retaliation made by employees of the Sheriff’s Office.
According to the ABC-2 TV report, the lawsuit filing says Murphy-Taylor was riding with John Hofmann in Cecil County in 2009 when he, “while still operating the motor vehicle, reached over with his right hand and forcefully put it down the front of Ms. Murphy-Taylor’s pants, touching her vaginal area”.
The ABC report states that the suit also claims Hofmann grabbed Murphy-Taylor’s breasts despite her attempts to stop him. Murphy-Taylor says she “told Mr. Hofmann to stop and tried to push his hand away each time he forced himself on her; however Mr. Hofmann overpowered her. And, he continued to forcefully tough Ms. Murphy-Taylor’s right breast.”
According to Maryland court records, Hofmann was later arrested and criminally charged with second degree assault and a fourth degree sexual assault. As part of a plea agreement, the sexual assault charge was not prosecuted. But the lawsuit claims that one day after John Hofmann pleaded guilty to second degree assault, Murphy-Taylor was fired by Sheriff Hofmann for exhausting her leave time, a claim she says is not true.