Georgia Police Department Accused of Rampant Sexual Harassment

A sexual harassment and hostile workplace probe into reported allegations against a Georgia police chief revealed a persistent hostile workplace for female employees in the Lawrenceville Police Department. The sexual harassment investigation led to the suspension of Georgia police Chief Tim Wallis, the verbal counseling of Wallis’ assistant chief, Maj. Myron Walker, and led to the resignation of Capt. Christopher Ryan Morgan, who was also found to have violated the city’s harassment policy.

Investigations into allegations uncovered:

1/ The investigation determined that Chief Wallis made sexist remarks to a female officer.

2/ It’s reported that he said “You walk around here looking like a Hooters girl when the air conditioner’s not working ” and “Are you working here or are you working at Hooters? Go get you some orange shorts on”

3/ The Captain violated the city’s sexual harassment policy when he made lewd comments via text to a female officer. It was reported that he asked her to send pictures of her breasts and told her she would look better naked.

3/ Wallis and other officers are also cited as creating a hostile work environment.

4/ The female complainant had originally sought help from Walker and other supervisors in dealing with Morgan’s harassment but they did little to help her.

5/ The report also exposes a years-long sexist culture in the department in which female employees felt undervalued while the network of men in the department, who committed bad behavior, were protected.

With these investigations, the city of Lawrenceville announced that it was updating trainings and would clarify its submission process of confidential employee complaints.

Sexual harassment is prohibited under California and federal law. It is illegal for employers to allow anyone to be sexually harassed at work. Moreover, if the harassment is widespread enough it can create a hostile work environment.

What other male dominated work environments do you think are still permeated with sexual harassment?

Learn More About Sexual Harassment Law / How to Report Sexual Harassment at Work?