END OF THIS YEAR.
>> MORE THAN 500 WOMEN WHO DO OR
DID WORK AT COOK COUNTY JAILS
ARE SUING.
THEY ALLEGE THE SHERIFF DID NOT
DO ENOUGH TO PROTECT THEM FROM
SEXUAL HARASSMENT FROM THOSE IN
CUSTODY.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US WITH THE
LATEST.
>> 529 WOMEN, NURSES, TEACHERS,
COURT LIBRARIANS, COURT DEPUTIES
HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT ALLEGING
SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION.
WE'RE GOING TO MEET ONE OF THEM
BONNIE PARKER WHO WORKED FOR 28
YEARS AS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
BEFORE RETIRING IN 2019.
PARKER USED TO DO INTAKES.
WHEN C.P.D. WOULD BRING IN THOSE
THAT HAD BEEN ARRESTED SHE WOULD
PROCESS THEM.
FINGERPRINTING AND INTERVIEWING.
AND PLACE THEM IN THE LOCK PEN
WHAT SHE --
LOCK UP OR THE BULLPEN.
SHE SAYS FROM 2014 ON HOWEVER
THAT PROCESS BECAME HARDER
BECAUSE INCREASINGLY, THE
DETAINEES HARASSED HER.
>> EVEN CONSISTED OF THINGS LIKE
GUYS CAT CALLING, PULLING OUT
THEIR PENISES.
EJACULATING, TELLING ME ABOUT MY
BODY PARTS.
AND THE SUPERVISORS IT BECAME SO
FREQUENT THAT THEY JUST IGNORED
IT.
AND CHALKED IT UP TO WELL, YOU
WORK IN A JAIL.
>> IT WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS
SHE SAYS.
OFFICER LIKE HER USED TO BE ABLE
TO WRITE UP DETAINEES WHO
BEHAVED THIS WAY.
>> PREVIOUSLY DISCIPLINE WOULD
HAVE BEEN SOMETHING LIKE FOR --
SOMETHING LIKE SHOWING YOUR BODY
PARTS PULLING OUT AND
EJACULATING WOULD HAVE BEEN
PROBABLY AT LEAST 30 DAYS IN
SEGREGATION, NO VISITING
PRIVILEGES.
YOU WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO SHOP
AND BUY GOODIES.
>> BUT SHE SAYS THAT CHANGED.
IN RECENT YEARS THE POLICY MEANT
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS HAD TO
REPORT HARASSMENT TO THEIR
SUPERVISORS AND WAIT FOR ACTION.
SHE SAYS SOMETIMES THE INCIDENTS
WERE BRUSHED OFF AND OTHERS IT
WOULD TAKE WEEKS BEFORE A
DETAINEE WAS PUNISHED.
AND THAT BEHAVIOR CONTINUED.
SHE COMPARE IT IS TO A CHILD WHO
CONTINUES TO ACT UP IF THERE ARE
NOT CONSEQUENCES.
>> THEY WERE NOT DISCIPLINED SO
THE PROBLEM GREW AND GREW AND
GREW, AND GREW LIKE A SNOWBALL
GOING DOWNHILL.
I WAS HARASSED THE LATTER PART
OF MY CAREER FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
>> PARKER WAS PART OF A LAWSUIT
FILED FIRST IN 2017 AGAINST TOM
DART MAKING SIMILAR ACCUSATIONS
BUT THAT CLASS ACTION SUIT LATER
DECERTIFIED BY AN APPELLATE
COURT FROM CLASS ACTION STATUS
PROMPTING THE NEW COMPLAINT
FILED YESTERDAY THAT INCLUDES
THE INDIVIDUAL STORIES OF 529
FEMALE JAIL EMPLOYEES.
NOELLE BRENNAN IS ONE OF THE
ATTORNEYS ON THE CASE.
>> THIS SUSPECTED'S THE TYPE OF
THING THAT HAPPENS IN EVERY
JAIL.
SO THE IDEA THAT THE SHERIFF HAS
DONE EVERYTHING THAT HE CAN DO,
JUST DOESN'T HOLD WATER.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT
COULD BE DONE THAT ARE COMMON
SENSE.
FOR INSTANCE, HANDCUFFING BEHIND
THE BACK.
PUTTING THEM IN UNIFORMS THAT
ARE EXPOSURE CONTROLLED
UNIFORMS.
>> SIMILAR TO PARKER SHE
SUGGESTS IMPLEMENTING STRONGER
DISCIPLINARY MEASURES.
BUT DART AGAIN PUSHING BACK.
STAYING IN A STATEMENT --
SAYING IN THE STATEMENT THE
SHERIFF ENACTED INNOVATIVE AND
COMPREHENSIVE MEASURES TO
PREVENT AND TO DETER DETAINED
PERSONS FROM MASTER BAITING IN
FRONT OF STAFF INCLUDING NEW
JUMPSUITS, INCREASED
DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES AND
THAT INCLUDES FILING CRIMINAL
CHARGES AGAINST DEFENDERS.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS THAT
RESULTED IN TWO-THIRDS DROP OF
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT RELATED
INCIDENTS SINCE DECEMBER OF
2016.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WORKS
EVERYDAY TO PREVENT AND DETER
THOSE ORDERED INTO CUSTODY FROM
ENGAGING IN ACTS OF VIOLENCE OR
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT TOWARDS STAFF
AND OTHERS AND HAS DONE SO
BEFORE THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED
FOUR YEARS AGO.
THE SAFETY OF ALL PERSONS WHO
ENTER THE JAIL IS THE HIGHEST
PRIORITY FOR THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
DEFEND OUR RECORD ON SUPPORTING
OUR STAFF AND AGGRESSIVELY
ADDRESSING INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT BY DETAINED
INDIVIDUALS.
NOW, THERE WAS ANOTHER LAWSUIT
FILED IN 2017 THIS ONE BY PUBLIC
DEFENDERS WHO WERE ALLEGING
SIMILAR BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF
DETAINEES.
THAT NOVEMBER, THE COOK COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS APPROVED
SETTLING THAT CASE FOR $14
MILLION.
NOELLE BRENNAN SAYS IT IS
NOTABLE THAT LAWYERS WERE
TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN JAIL
EMPLOYEES.
SHE SAYS THE 529 PLAINTIFFS IN
THIS CASE REPRESENT A QUARTER OF
THE APPROXIMATELY 2,000 WOMEN
WHO WORKED IN THE COOK COUNTY
JAILS AND COURTS DURING THE
PERTINENT TIME PERIOD.
>> THAT YOU HAVE ONE QUARTER OF
YOUR FEMALE STAFF WILLING TO PUT
THEIR NAME ON A COMPLAINT AND
SUE THEIR EMPLOYER IS
UNPRECEDENTED.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW THIS IS THE
LARGEST INDIVIDUAL SEX
HARASSMENT CASE EVER BROUGHT
>> NOW, THOUGH SHE IS RETIRED,
BONNIE PARKER SAYS SHE IS
WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THAT SHE
LEFT BEHIND, SOME OF WHOM SHE
HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR
TRAINING.
>> AND YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THEM IN
A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT
BECAUSE THAT IS IN ESSENCE WHAT
IT BECOMES.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO COME TO WORK
AND MENTALLY KNOW THAT WHEN YOU
OPEN THAT DOOR OH, LORD, I AM
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY?
ARE THEY GOING TO GET ME IN THE
FACE?
IS IT GOING TO BE ON THE BACK OF
MY PANTS?
IS SOMEBODY GOING TO HEY OLD
LADY LOOK WHAT I GOT FOR YOU?
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO TODAY,
LORD.
THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO STOP.
>> THE SUIT IS SEEKING A CHANGE
IN POLICY BUT ALSO MONETARY
DAMAGES.