Allegations of misconduct and details of alleged interactions among members of the Braidwood Police Department have provided for a riveting, NSFW lawsuit in federal court, according to a report in the Braidwood Journal.

On July 14, Braidwood's Deputy Chief of Police Michelle Soucie filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Braidwood in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The lawsuit alleges "a continuous stream of negative and sexually suggestive comments on the basis of her sex."

The lawsuit charges that Soucie, who has been on paid administrative leave from the department since January, was harassed on the job by Police Chief Nick Ficarello. Soucie has been a member of the department since 1998 and has been deputy chief since 2015.

According to the complaint, Soucie said Ficarello has bragged to her about his sexual conquests, and insisted she drink alcohol with him at inappropriate times and "wear high heeled shoes to please him."

"Chief Ficarello's comments were unwelcome, and they interfered with [Soucie's] ability to do her job," the complaint states.

Ficarello categorically denies those claims. The chief said Soucie filed the lawsuit in retaliation after she was placed on administrative leave pending an internal theft investigation, but did not comment further.

Soucie's complaint argues it is the other way around, and the investigation into her conduct is retaliation for her complaints about the chief's behavior. Earlier this year, Soucie filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against the city that ultimately was dismissed. Soucie also says she delivered a letter to mayor Jim Vehrs regarding Ficarello's behavior in December 2016. The city denied that claim.

On Aug. 8, the city of Braidwood responded to Soucie's claims, with, at times, sarcastic answers to Soucie's point-by-point complaint.

For example, point one of the complaint names Soucie, and identifies her as a female resident of Kankakee County.

The response from the city: "Defendant is without knowledge of information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations of Paragraph 1."

The response from the city also contains 13 affirmative defense items. One alleges "any injuries or damages claimed by [Soucie] were caused by her own conduct" and that an investigation into her claims showed that Soucie "welcomed discussions about sex."

The response then lists examples of Soucie's alleged "inappropriate statements/behavior."

Attorneys for Soucie balked at the claims made by the city.

"The affirmative defenses are baseless, desperate and offensive," Hall Adams, who is representing Soucie in the federal lawsuit, wrote in an email to The Braidwood Journal. "Nothing that defendant has alleged justifies or excuses the way she has been treated by her employer."

Soucie is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit, as well as the restoration of her career as deputy chief and payment of her legal fees. The next scheduled event for the case is a status hearing set for Thursday, Aug. 31.