Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s failed leadership is making headlines yet again. This time, a Metro officer is suing the police department for sexual harassment and retaliation. The officer claims he was sexually harassed by a supervisor and then demoted after he filed a formal complaint. Metro was allegedly aware of the supervisor’s problematic behavior and other complaints filed against her, yet did nothing.
This isn’t an isolated incident, either. It comes just weeks after the bombshell report of Kevin McMahill’s sexual harassment scandal and Lombardo’s history of allowing alleged sexual abusers to climb the ranks of Metro while turning a blind eye to victims. As a sheriff who should be prioritizing safety, Lombardo has consistently put abusers over victims, demonstrating that he doesn’t care to keep Nevadans safe.
Read about Lombardo’s disastrous leadership below.
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas police officer alleges sexual harassment, retaliation
Katelyn Newberg
May 19, 2022
Key Points:
- A Las Vegas police officer has filed a federal lawsuit that accuses the Metropolitan Police Department of retaliating against him after he accused his supervisor of sexual harassment.
- According to the lawsuit, Brandon Englert was demoted from detective to patrolman after he rejected multiple sexual advances from his supervisor, Sgt. Jennifer Benjamins. Englert alleges that after he reported her, she launched an internal investigation into a complaint made against him and his partner, which resulted in Englert’s demotion.
- Englert also alleges that Metro was aware of Benjamins’ behavior, and that several reports were made against her for “similar conduct with other officers.”
- In March 2018, the document states, Englert told a lieutenant about the harassment. When the lieutenant told Englert “not to ‘make mountains out of mole hills,’” Englert filed the formal complaint with Metro’s internal affairs bureau, according to the lawsuit.
- In June 2018, Englert was told that the investigation into his sexual harassment complaint was going to be closed “with no further action taken,” according to the lawsuit.
- Five months later, Englert was demoted from detective to patrolman, although his partner remained a detective, his attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleges that Metro subjected Englert to a “hostile, intimidating work environment” after he made the sexual harassment complaint.
- “Defendant LVMPD’s conduct directly and proximately caused Plaintiff Englert to suffer loss of wages, loss of earning capacity, as well as severe emotional and physical distress,” the lawsuit further alleges.
Read the full story here.
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