A jury awarded $600,000 to the first
woman on the Houston Police Department's motorcycle unit Wednesday,
agreeing that her supervisor had sexually harassed her and that his
supervisors failed to take appropriate action.
Officer
Beth Kreuzer and her two attorneys hugged after the five men and three
women on the jury announced their verdict to U.S. District Judge Kenneth
Hoyt. The jury deliberated about five hours.
"I didn't take it for granted," said
Kreuzer, 41, as she tried to regain her composure. "I was surprised."
"I think the jury is sending a message
that we have a dysfunctional system" in the Police Department, she
added.
"There are some huge betrayal issues,"
Kreuzer said. "I gave this department 20 years of my life and when
I needed them the most, they let me down and they let my co-workers
down."
The jury awarded her $200,000 for mental
anguish because of sexual harassment, $50,000 for economic loss from
violations of her free-speech rights and $350,000 for loss of professional
reputation.
Assistant City Attorney Donald Fleming
said the city will appeal.
"I think, when all is said and done,
we'll be in pretty good shape and the city will be vindicated," he
said.
Kreuzer's attorneys, Katherine Butler
and Margaret Harris, who have won two other sexual harassment lawsuits
on behalf of female officers,
said they hope Police Chief Harold Hurtt and Mayor Bill White will
meet with them, Kreuzer and other female
victims of harassment in the department.
"It is long past time for a change
and I truly, truly hope that Mayor White and Chief Hurtt would take
this opportunity to address some problems that have been going on
for decades," Butler said.
White's spokesman, Frank Michel, said
it is unlikely the mayor would meet with Kreuzer or her lawyers because
of the pending appeal. He deferred questions to Hurtt, who said he
will consult with his attorney about meeting with Kreuzer.
Hurtt said he is re-examining the department's
sexual harassment awareness training and its policy on sexual discrimination.
"I will not tolerate any form of sexual
harassment by members of the Houston Police Department," he said.
The chief also said he will expand
the locations where officers can make complaints, adding the Texas
Civil Rights Commission and federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Kreuzer sued the city and Sgt. Clifford
E. Simmons, saying more than 22 fellow officers in her unit had witnessed
Simmons sexually harassing and humiliating her, including touching
her hair and hips and calling her "my girl."
Simmons, 57, was dropped from the lawsuit
before the trial, but testified that he never harassed Kreuzer. He
was not in court Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.
Kreuzer accused police officials of
retaliating against her and the officers who told internal investigators
about the harassment. She said she was punished even though the sexual
harassment complaint on her behalf came from a male officer
who complained about Simmons' treatment of all officers
under his command.
Kreuzer accused department supervisors
of retaliating against the entire evening shift, which included most
of those who backed the sexual harassment complaint. She said the
retaliation involved changing the officers' hours to make it difficult
to secure lucrative off-duty police escort work.
Fleming and Assistant City Attorney
Lina Garcia portrayed Kreuzer and her lawsuit as part of an effort
to retaliate against the department for changing the shift hours.
The defense also tried to show that
Kreuzer failed to complain to then-Chief Clarence Bradford or the
department's office of women's issues.
Testimony by Kreuzer's witnesses depicted
a department that tried to protect Simmons, despite a long history
of poor judgment as a manager.
Witnesses said a code of silence prevented
officers from reporting misbehavior by other officers, especially
supervisors.
Coming forward with a complaint could
end a career and bring retaliation that could make life miserable,
a number of witnesses said.
Bradford testified that he rejected
the Internal Affairs Division's conclusion that Simmons was lying
when Simmons said he didn't recall incidents cited by more than 22
officers.
Witnesses also testified about the
conditions endured by female
officers. Kreuzer said she served in the motorcycle unit for two years
before other officers would speak with her, and some never did.
She is on paid leave, but said she
won't return to her regular duties.
"You have a system that doesn't honor
integrity," Kreuzer said. "I really have a hard time going back to
that system."
She joined the elite motorcycle unit,
known as "Solo," in 1998 after working 10 years as a homicide investigator.
Her attorneys said only one other female
officer
has ridden with Solo,
and only for a short time. No women are in the unit now, they said.
harvey.rice@chron.com
EARLIER CASES
A federal jury's $600,000 verdict Wednesday
for Officer Beth Kreuzer
was the third successful sexual harassment lawsuit against the city
of Houston for attorneys Katherine Butler and Margaret Harris.
In the other cases:
1996 - A federal jury awarded Officer
Linda Williamson $128,000 from the city after finding
that a male officer had
sexually harassed her and a supervisor had retaliated against her
for complaining.
1997 - A federal jury awarded Officer
Patrice Sharp $110,000 from the city after finding
that she was the victim of a code of silence for complaining about
sexual harassment. Two police supervisors were assessed $15,000 each.