If the Town of Granville had properly handled the investigation into claims of sexual harassment made by its women police officers, those officers wouldn’t have filed a lawsuit.
That’s according to Chirag Desai, the attorney representing Jessica Colebank, Erika Gerard and Brittany Kolb. The three are the only female officers in Granville’s police department.
“One thing I want to make clear is that you know my clients had no intention to file a lawsuit, had no intention to even retain council until they began getting stonewalled by Granville,” Desai said.
The Dominion Post was unable to reach Granville Mayor Patricia Lewis in time for this report.
The suit alleges the women’s supervisor, Lt. Leroy “Bucky” Forbes, sexually harassed them through flirtatious comments, sexually suggestive remarks and inappropriate touching.
Forbes would make the plaintiffs tell him they “loved him” before he would honor their work requests and would tell them “big daddy always takes care of you,” the suit states. He also allegedly put his arms around or over the women, touched their shoulders/upper back area and whispered in their ears in a “sexually dominant and seductive manner.”
All of the conduct was unwanted, according to the lawsuit.
Forbes was essentially in charge of the department, despite his technical position of second-in-command, the suit states. Chief Craig Corkrean was aware of the behavior but didn’t take steps to correct it and even laughed about Forbes’ conduct.
The suit says other male coworkers noticed and regularly commented on Forbes’ “inappropriate and obvious ‘special treatment’ of Plaintiffs.”
Sick of it
After a December 2018 incident in which Forbes approached one of the women and put his pelvis against her backside while whispering in her ear, the three collectively decided they couldn’t tolerate Forbes’ behavior anymore.
Despite fear of retaliation, a formal complaint was filed, the suit states.
Colebank took the lead and requested a formal meeting with the mayor, Councilman Dave Bean and Corkrean. At the Jan. 3 meeting, Forbes’ sexual harassment was reported and a formal written complaint detailing the allegations was filed, according to the suit.
The women requested a “prompt and thorough investigation” and were assured one would be conducted and they would be kept informed of the finding.
After consulting with the town’s lawyer, another attorney who has previously represented Granville and regularly defends sexual harassment claims was brought in to investigate, the suit states. The officers had requested a neutral third-party investigator.
The plaintiffs were summoned before Granville’s investigator and “essentially interrogated.” They were grilled about their motives for filing the sexual harassment complaints and asked if they were going to file a lawsuit. None of the women had a lawyer at the time of the interview.
“What they wanted was a fair impartial investigation. They wanted it thoroughly conducted in accordance with Granville’s written policy,” Desai said.
Forbes wasn’t questioned until more than two months after the investigation started, the suit states. During that period the plaintiffs requests for information about the investigation were ignored or denied.
Corkrean sent an email on April 2 notifying all employees in the Granville Police Department that Forbes was no longer an employee. He did not elaborate on why Forbes was gone.
It’s still a mystery, according to Desai. As of the suit’s filing in Monongalia County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Granville has not offered a single update about the investigation, its findings or the circumstances about Forbes’ departure from the department, the suit states.
“We don’t know whether he resigned,” he said. “I mean, we don’t know whether he resigned or was fired. We don’t know whether it was the result of this sexual harassment investigation or something else. And I think the town should have been more transparent with our clients in that regard of why he left.”
Meanwhile, the plaintiffs have been given the “cold shoulder” by Corkrean and Lewis. Desai said his clients’ fellow patrol officers have been supportive of them.
The suit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damage, attorney fees and costs and any other relief the court deems proper.
