{"id":9267,"date":"2015-02-12T13:38:34","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T21:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=9267"},"modified":"2015-02-12T14:18:29","modified_gmt":"2015-02-12T22:18:29","slug":"sheriff-settles-sexual-harassment-retaliation-lawsuit-870000-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=9267","title":{"rendered":"Sheriff Settles Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit for $870,000 (VIDEO)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"sheriff-gary-hofmann\"<\/a>
Sheriff Gary Hofmann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MARYLAND<\/strong> – \u00a0The 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.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit filed by Kristy Murphy-Taylo<\/strong>r 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.<\/p>\n

Murphy-Taylor alleged that she was subjected to repeated incidents of unwanted sexual touching by the Sheriff\u2019s brother, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

Officials said Ms. Murphy- Taylor will receive $250,000 as damages.\u00a0She will also get $620,000 in backpay, future pay, and attorney\u2019s fees.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo woman should have to face losing her job in order to be free from sexual harassment and retaliation at work,\u201d said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division.<\/strong> \u201cThe Department of Justice is committed to eradicating sex discrimination in the workplace. The resolution of this lawsuit ensures that the Queen Anne\u2019s County Sheriff\u2019s Office will comply with federal law requiring employers to take prompt and effective corrective action to complaints of sexual harassment.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Also named in the lawsuit is the state of Maryland and\u00a0Queen Anne\u2019s 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\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

According to the ABC-2 TV report<\/a>, \u00a0the 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”.<\/p>\n

The ABC report states that the suit also claims Hofmann grabbed Murphy-Taylor’s breasts despite her attempts to stop him.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 And, he continued to forcefully tough Ms. Murphy-Taylor’s right breast.”<\/p>\n