City settles sexual harassment claims against Denver Sheriff Department with $1.55 million settlement
It’s a good chunk of money.
Inside Denver's downtown detention center. Oct. 11, 2018. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
The Denver City Council signed off on a $1.55 million check Monday that will fund a settlement with 15 current and former deputies in the Denver Sheriff Department who alleged sexual harassment while working in the county jail.
The 2016 complaint alleges male inmates groped female deputies and masturbated in front of them. The lawsuit calls the behavior “severe” and alleges that the incidents stemmed from a lack of structure to protect the women during their workday.
City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca told Denverite before the vote that she wants to make sure the department has mechanisms in place to protect deputies and avoid similar lawsuits down the road.
Ryan Luby, a spokesman for the Denver City Attorney’s Office, said the claims would have cost the city much more, substantiated or not, if they had gone to trial.
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