Garden Grove Woman Sues Long Beach Police for Alleged Sexual Harassment
LONG BEACH — A Garden Grove woman and a former police colleague have sued the Long Beach Police Department, contending that the stress of persistent sexual harassment forced them to take disability leaves.
Lindsey Allison, 31, of Garden Grove, the first woman officer in Long Beach’s police-dog detail, and Melissa Clerkin, 33, of Long Beach, who was assigned to the patrol division, seek unspecified damages in their federal lawsuit against the city, Police Chief Lawrence Binkley and 18 other police officials.
Binkley declined to discuss the lawsuit, and lawyers in the Long Beach city attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.
Allison left on stress disability in September, 1988, the suit said. Clerkin left on stress disability in May, 1988, and was placed on permanent retirement in December, the lawsuit says.
Both women contend that they complained to superiors about the alleged harassment from their supervisors and other officers, but no action was taken.
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