Sexual Harassment Claim

Police officer files sexual harassment lawsuit

   MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- A Missoula police detective who investigates Internet
 sex crimes has filed a lawsuit against the police department alleging a female
officer sexually harassed him.
   Missoula City Attorney Jim Nugent told the Missoulian  the state Human Rights
Bureau denied Detective Chris Shermer's claim against Lt. Sandy Kosena. Nugent
said the contact allegedly began when Shermer flipped off the lieutenant that same
day.
   Shermer's lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges Kosena grabbed him on the left
buttock last April and whispered a sexual innuendo in his ear. Nugent said she was
responding to being flipped off and told him she wasn't interested in taking him up
on his offer.
   The lawsuit alleges Kosena acknowledged the contact, but was disciplined only
lightly. Shermer argues a male officer doing the same thing would have been more
harshly punished.
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   Information from: Missoulian
   AP-WF-03-07-13 1941GMT