EATON RAPIDS, Mich. — A follow up to a story FOX 47 News first brought you in first brought you in 2016. An Eaton Rapids police officer has reached a deal with the city over a sexual harassment claim.
The officer, Lisa Kirby, filed a federal lawsuit in October 2017 claiming another officer had sexually harassed her. She claims that, after reporting the harassment to Eaton Rapid Police Chief Larry Weeks, she was suspended for two weeks.
News 10 has obtained the documents that include Kirby's original complaint to Chief Larry Weeks. In it, she claimed Lt. Mark Hodshire would repeatedly say things to her in a sexual nature, including asking for pictures of her breasts.
She claimed things got hostile after Lt. Hodshire was promoted and she questioned him on protocol and other union complaints, like schedules and overtime.
After Kirby filed the formal complaint with Weeks, Hodshire also responded with a rebuttal email, denying Kirby's accusations and stating she was using sexual innuendos and telling inappropriate sexual jokes often. In his rebuttal, Hodshire included screenshots of text messages that included sexual jokes between him and Kirby, which appear to show her initiating the sexual conversations.
Kirby and the city settled the lawsuit and all claims against the city were dismissed. She was paid $100,000 with the settlement and was placed on paid administrative leave for two years. That equals to about $60,000 a year with full benefits. She has also agreed to voluntarily resign on Oct. 31, 2020.
This was the second lawsuit that Kirby has filed against a police department she worked for.
Court documents from 2007 show that she filed a lawsuit against Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department where she worked from 1996 to 2006. The suit alleged Kirby was subjected to sex discrimination and retaliatory termination of employment.
A jury ruled in her favor and she was awarded $65,000 in back pay.
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