Women claim sexual harassment, sue Nevada Highway Patrol

Tuesday, April 18, 2000 | 12:52 p.m.

"The Highway Patrol doesn't want women," said Reno attorney Kenneth McKenna, who represents the six employees. "They've never wanted women."

Highway Patrol Col. Michael Hood said Tuesday the allegations in the lawsuits are frivolous.

"We're going to aggressively defend the suit," he said. "Those allegations - we have documentation to the contrary."

The lawsuits were filed Monday in Reno on behalf of troopers Judy Dart, Christina Zaporowski, Tammy Tedesko, Ann English and Gina Johnson, and program assistant Angela Newman. All six women live in Clark County.

Zaporowski's lawsuit claims she has endured sexual discrimination and harassment since February 1996.

"Plaintiff was pregnant for the first time back in February 1996 and was removed from full-duty status as per Nevada Highway Patrol police and procedure regarding maternity, which was a violation of the Federal Pregnancy and Discrimination Act," her complaint alleges.

Zaporowski was not aware of the federal act at the time, according to the document, which claims she again was removed from full-duty status when she became pregnant with her second child in January 1997.

The trooper's lawsuit claims she was placed in the agency's communications center when she became pregnant with her third child in June 1998 and was warned by a lieutenant to keep quiet about the decision.

"Plaintiff was in such fear of retaliation in losing her job that plaintiff kept her mouth shut during her entire pregnancy," the complaint alleges.

Newman's lawsuit describes a "general permeation within the Nevada Highway Patrol that women are unwelcome."

Tedesko's lawsuit claims, among other allegations, that her coverall uniforms have been located in the men's locker room since 1991.

"Plaintiff has complained about this to numerous supervisors, and no one has done anything to change this," the document alleges. "Plaintiff has to go into the men's locker room to get her uniforms."

Newman's lawsuit claims that during her employment she has been continually subjected to sexual harassment, sexual advances, sexual leering or staring, sexual remarks, sexual teasing jokes, touching and sexual propositions by a man employed in the personnel department of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

The Highway Patrol is a division of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

Newman reported the inappropriate conduct, according to the lawsuit, but no action was taken to stop it.

McKenna said some backward-thinking administrators and top brass in the agency have created an atmosphere that allows a few rank-and-file-officers to abuse women.

"The leaders truly believe that women shouldn't be in the patrol," he said. The attorney said he thinks most of the male officers respect their female colleagues.

McKenna also represented trooper Mary Howard, who was awarded $500,000 in damages by a federal jury in Reno after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the agency.

At the time, the award was believed to be the largest of its kind in state history. Howard won the jury verdict in September 1997, but the parties later reached a $425,000 settlement.

McKenna said the verdict should have served as a "wake-up call" for the Highway Patrol.

"It's only gotten worse instead of better," the attorney said.