Texas County to settle $1.5 million sexual misconduct lawsuit – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A Texas county has agreed to pay a group of female deputies $1.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging they were abused and harassed when a police officer's office turned undercover operations into a “playground for sexual exploitation”.

Harris County commissioners approved the settlement Tuesday, three years after the women alleged that as rookie deputies at a Houston precinct, they were subjected to unwarranted touching and kissing, sexual assault and to sexual teasing during their work in a human trafficking unit.

The lawsuit alleged that “bachelor party” style undercover operations were intended to ultimately arrest the people behind the sex trafficking enterprises. But the lawsuit says those operations devolved more into parties where officers drank heavily and female deputies, who had received little or no training in undercover work, were fondled and kissed by their officer. supervision or had to do lap dances for other male MPs.

Police officers are an elected position in Texas, and police officers and their deputies have the same powers as a municipal police officer or sheriff's deputy. They can investigate, arrest and use force if they suspect criminal activity.

“It’s been a long road. My clients are happy to have this in the rearview mirror. It has been an honor to represent such extraordinary people,” said Cordt Akers, attorney for the women.

A spokesman for Constable Alan Rosen declined to comment Wednesday.

In a statement when filing the lawsuit in 2021, Rosen said an internal affairs investigation by his office found no violations of law or policy and that the women never filed a complaint official.