Posted on 07/22/2004 6:10:18 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952
Two of the men viewed porn on Internet; lawyer calls it 'locker room-type atmosphere'
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Three Austin police officers have been suspended for telling dirty jokes and making sexual comments in front of a female co-worker and must attend any training or counseling a department psychologist recommends.
Two of the officers also viewed Internet pornography that included nude photos of actresses such as Pamela Anderson and a naked obese woman, according to their attorney and disciplinary memos obtained Wednesday.
"It was basically a situation where there was a locker room-type atmosphere," lawyer Jamie Balagia said.
Police Chief Stan Knee suspended officer William Monte for 42 days, officer Jesse Sanchez for 30 days and officer Duane Williams for 18 days. The unpaid suspensions began July 9.
The three worked together in an eight-member unit in Northwest Austin that carries out special assignments such as drug and prostitution stings. Monte and Sanchez have worked for the department about seven years; Williams joined the force 12 years ago.
Balagia said the officers will be reassigned.
He said the case against his clients began after a female officer complained several months ago that she was being harassed. He said the group worked together about three years and routinely traded jokes and used "colorful language" around one another.
The woman often participated, but decided she objected to the behavior, Balagia said.
The three violated department policies concerning personal conduct and sexual harassment, the disciplinary memos said. The rules forbid "sexually oriented jokes, remarks, innuendoes or gestures" and the circulation of offensive photos.
Monte and Sanchez also broke a general order that prohibits employees from viewing, displaying, transmitting or receiving sexually explicit material.
Each officer must meet with the department's psychologist and attend classes about sexual harassment and cultural sensitivity. They waived their right to appeal the suspension and were told that failure to comply with terms of their suspensions could lead to more discipline.
"We want to have a good work environment for all our officers, no matter their race or gender," Assistant Police Chief Rick Coy said. "That is very important to our department -- that all employees are treated with dignity and respect by each other."
Balagia said the officers cooperated with the months-long internal investigation and are eager to return to work.
"They just want to get on with the business of being good police officers," he said.
Another thing to consider is 'going along with things so as to be treated the same way'.
I don't want my co-workers to feel like they have to walk on egg-shells around me, so I will join in a bit with their joking. Not by saying anything, but by being a good sport and not getting offended. Is it entirely possible that this woman did the same, but the guys really went way too far.
Don't they know any better? In America, you can only make sexual comments and "jokes" if you are speaking against Bush and Republicans and your name is Whoopi!
As a white conservative male myself, I known when all this garbage started and when it started was well ebfore minorities were effectively in policy-making positions in government and private industry.
Did some of them contribute to it by applying political pressure? Sure.
But who created the system and caved into the pressure?
The biggest destructor of conservative white America was liberal white America. The biggest contributor to the rise of crime in, and the breakdown of the black muclear family was liberal government social programs, engineered and operated by white liberals.
LOL!
Lesson of the day: Never trust the women you work with.
Flava Flav is alive!
You may be shocked, but I am actually on the side of the cops on this one.
Sorry to disappoint you. ;>0
You may be shocked, but I am actually on the side of the cops on this one.
Sorry to disappoint you. ;>0
Best wishes.
Dagnabbit Luke! :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.