Gender Discrimination. Former Police Officer Awarded Nearly $2,000,000.

Former police officer, Suzzanne Barth, was awarded nearly $2,000,000 in a jury award for sexual harrassment and gender discrimination. Ms. Barth was the first female officer for the Village of Mokena, Illinois, a small community of 12,000 residents just 30 miles outside of Chicago. Ms. Barth was hired in 1998 and was, according to her complaint, subjected to endless sexual taunting and her life was put at risk when fellow officers refused to offer her back-up on calls. In 2002 Ms. Barth quit the department (this is what we call a constructive discharge - when you have no other choice but to quit) citing that she feared for her safety.