A DuPage County sheriff’s deputy is suing the sheriff, two former deputies and the county, saying she was sexually harassed at work and retaliated against when she complained.
Yitzel Mansour filed the suit May 20 against Sheriff James Mendrick, retired Sgt. Curtis Bryant, retired Lt. David Tousignant and DuPage County.
The lawsuit alleges they violated the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois Whistleblowers Act.
Mendrick, Bryant and Tousignant could not be reached for comment May 24.
Mansour was hired in September 2018 and has worked in the patrol division since July 2020.
Bryant and Tousignant were her supervisors, the suit says.
Beginning in 2022, Tousignant and Bryant made unwelcome sexual advances to her and subjected her to degrading and derogatory comments, according to the suit.
It also alleges Tousignant committed sexual assault and sexual battery against her.
The suit says Tousignant would ask her to go out to lunch and she was afraid to say “no.” The lunches would last two to four hours, according to the suit.
He also ordered her to attend testing at the county’s gun range. They were the only people there and he stood behind her and adjusted her stance. Then, when she was cleaning her gun at a table, he grabbed her face and tried to kiss her, according to the lawsuit. She turned away.
He falsely said she had failed the gun test, according to the lawsuit.
The suit alleges Bryant would make comments about her body and her clothing, ask for photos of her and ask her to go to dinner.
The suit says Mansour was disciplined by the sheriff’s office when it found out she had talked to another officer about the situation. It alleges she was denied a promotion to the community resource unit because of it.
It also says that when she filed a harassment complaint with the sheriff and county officials, they deemed it unfounded.
The suit says there is an “old boys club” atmosphere at the sheriff’s office and a stifling “code of silence.”
She filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights. The lawsuit says the agency dismissed her complaint but does not say why.
Mansour is seeking to have her discipline vacated, to receive unspecified lost pay and pension benefits and a promotion to the community resource unit.
The suit was filed in DuPage County Circuit Court. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20240524/news/dupage-deputy-says-she-was-sexually-harassed-at-work/