'nuther shoe

◼ Another EPD employee files suit against city
Former Eureka Police Department public information officer Suzanne Owsley filed a lawsuit against the city last week, alleging employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful demotion and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The suit -- which seeks unspecified damages in excess of $25,000 and was filed in Humboldt County Superior Court on Nov. 19 -- names the city of Eureka, EPD, Chief Garr Nielsen and EPD Records Manager Erin McBride as defendants, and is the second lawsuit filed in as many weeks against the city by current and former EPD employees.
Owsley, who spent 17 years working for the department before leaving in November 2008, alleges in the suit that Nielsen and McBride carried out a campaign of harassment against her that spanned months and included demoting her, doctoring her performance evaluation, barring her from setting foot on EPD property without a police escort and assigning her demeaning duties, including cleaning a women's locker room.
As a result of the alleged harassment, Owsley suffered a loss of employment, humiliation, mental anguish, emotional and physical distress and has been injured mentally and emotionally, according to the suit. At least some of the allegations contained in the suit were previously investigated by the city of Eureka, which found no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the suit....

In the suit, Owsley alleges that an errant text message, sent by Nielsen and received by her, and a complaint filed by her with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission spawned the months of harassment. Owsley alleges in the suit that she received a text message from Nielsen on Dec. 14, 2007 -- the day after the city's Christmas party -- reading: “Sorry I was not much fun last night.” Owsley alleges that when she asked Nielsen about the message after receiving it, he denied having sent the message.
Owsley alleges later in the suit that she learned that EPD Communications Supervisor Tawnie Hansen was the intended recipient of Nielsen's text message, and that city employees believed Hansen was having an “inappropriate relationship” with Nielsen. Hansen filed suit against the city Nov. 10 alleging that she was being harassed due to this belief -- which she insists to be false -- and that the city failed to adequately investigate the alleged harassment she was suffering and bring it to a halt....
◼ Another lawsuit hits City of Eureka "heraldo"(a)

Separate but related:
◼ Down and Dirty
◼ Tyson, City Sued on Harassment Charges
◼ City of Eureka: Claims will be thrown out
◼ MASSIVE LAWSUIT TARGETS EUREKA, CITY MANAGER Fri, Nov 13th, 2009 4:07
◼ Tyson, City Sued on Harassment Charges Nov. 13, 4:38 p.m.
◼ TS EPD employee files civil suit against city 11/14/2009 1:30 AM
◼ ABOVE THE LAW (Most all posts have been removed)
◼ Turmoil at EPD Sat, Apr 5th, 2008 12:53 pm
◼ Police anger at chief surfaces
◼ Garr Nielsen named new EPD Chief Thu, Mar 15th, 2007 9:55 pm
◼ KSLG to interview disgruntled cop blogger Fri, Apr 18th, 2008 11:57 pm
◼ Nielsen cleared Sat, May 10th, 2008 9:11 am
◼ TS Complaint against chief found to be unsubstantiated
◼ Nasty cops prompt ER (Eureka Reporter) crack down Thu, June 5th, 2008 8:15 am
◼ Eureka Police blog spawns lawsuit Mon, June 29th, 2009 5:00 am
◼ INNOCENT: Grand Jury concludes police chief investigation Thu, July 2nd, 2009 5:59 pm
◼ Police Chief critic quits EPD Sunday, July 5th, 2009 at 12:01 am
◼ Police blog lawsuit settled Fri, Aug 7th, 2009 12:30 am
◼ GRAND JURY REPORT
◼ JN Broken Blue Line July 2, 2009
◼ MASSIVE LAWSUIT TARGETS EUREKA, CITY MANAGER Fri, Nov 13th, 2009 4:07
◼ Tyson, City Sued on Harassment Charges Nov. 13, 4:38 p.m.
◼ TS EPD employee files civil suit against city 11/14/2009 01:30:14 AM PST
◼ ‘Global investigation’ expensive Mon, Nov 16th, 2009 5:00 am
◼ City of Eureka: Claims will be thrown out 11/18/2009