Metro sued by former employee

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2002 | 8:55 a.m.

A former Metro Police secretary has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department alleging sexual harassment.

Joan Cargill, a 10-year employee of the department, is suing Metro for $300,000 and reinstatment to her job with full back pay, benefits and seniority, her lawyer, Richard Segerblom, said.

Her lawsuit alleges she was denied equal rights under the terms and conditions of employment and was forced to resign last year.

Cargill, who worked mainly in Metro's southeast area substation and at the McCarran International Airport substation, filed a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission in October 2001, Segerblom said. The commission concluded that there was not enough information to determine if Cargill's civil rights had been violated, but did send her a letter stating she had the right to sue Metro, he said.

In her complaint to the commission Cargill alleged that she was verbally harassed by a group of officers from Jan. 20, 2001, to Sept. 20, 2001, and that the harassment led to a panic attack.

"On one occasion, used female underwear was placed in my purse," Cargill stated in her complaint to the commission.

She also alleges that when officers learned her son was autistic they began to call her a "retard."

Among the Metro personnel named in the suit are Sgt. Robert Bullard, Sgt. Al Sicilano, Lt. William Cavagnero, Officer Gary Maasch and Capt. Stavros Anthony.

Lt. Vincent Cannito, a Metro Police spokesman, said he could not comment on the allegations because of the pending litigation.