Arizona DPS trooper And State Sued Over Sexual Harassment

A Phoenix-area woman is suing the State of Arizona and a trooper working for the Department of Public Safety over alleged sexual harassment. Tremaine Jackson had worked for AZDPS for 13 years. The lawsuit was filed on May 26^th.

Jackson Facing 61 Counts

Jackson was arrested by authorities on September 11^th, 2019 on charges of extorting sexual favors from 61 women he stopped for traffic violations while on patrol. One of these women has filed the federal lawsuit.

The woman claims that Jackson stopped her in March 2019 and said she could get out of receiving a citation if she washed his motorcycle nude among other sexual favors.

Jackson also faces dozens of other charges, including kidnapping, sexual abuse, and alleged crimes against eight other women. DPS Director Col. Frank Milstead claimed that investigations have revealed that Tremaine Jackson offered leniency to women if they agreed to provide sexual favors to him.

Jackson Has Been Fired From the Department

Milstead said that Jackson was using his position of authority to gain sexual favors from traffic stops, some of which were for as long as 90 minutes.

43 year old Jackson spent 13 years with the agency and has been placed on leave since June 11^th, 2019. He was later fired when the complaint of sexual abuse was proved after a department investigation according to Milstead.

However, lawyers for Jackson claim that the DPS officer is a victim of political games and that DPS is intentionally trying to smear their former officer. The lawyers also claim that Jackson is yet to receive the lawsuit.

The woman is suing the state for $300,000 in damages stating that they should be held liable for wrongful conduct of its districts, divisions, subdivisions, officers, employees, and agents.

Understanding Sexual Harassment in Arizona

The federal government agency Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines illegal harassment at work or sexual harassment as unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature. Victims may have a sexual harassment claim if they:

• were harassed by a co-worker
• were made uncomfortable by a co-worker
• were the recipient of a hostile work environment
• were ignored when complaining about sexual harassment

Experienced sexual harassment lawyers can help navigate lawsuits for favorable outcomes. Damages can be significant under federal law. Victims of sexual harassment can claim out-of-pocket damages and back pay. These can range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands in recovery. Sexual harassment attorneys can help build a winning lawsuit.