Second EEOC Claim Against Sheriff
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JACKSON, Tenn. – Madison County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Lisa Balderrama will file a sexual harassment claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Tuesday. According to her attorney, Mike Weinman, the claim is against Sheriff David Woolfork. Weinman released a statement late Monday detailing Balderrama’s basis for her claim. It reads: In essence Lieutenant Balderrama claims that shortly after she started working at the Sheriff‘s department, the Sheriff used his position of authority as her boss and as the ranking law enforcement officer in Madison County to intimidate and coerce her into entering into and maintaining a sexual relationship with him. Initially he told her that if she would have a sexual relationship with him he would “take care of her” in the department and indicated that if she maintained the relationship with him she would advance within the department. He would also repeatedly threaten to retaliate against her by moving her to the midnight shift when she tried to terminate the relationship. On more than one occasion he was physically abusive to her when he thought she might be involved with someone else or if she refused to have sex with him. The relationship was ongoing for approximately 11 years. The final incident of the relationship is likely the most disturbing of all. In late April of this year Lieutenant Balderrama had requested to make some personnel changes within her department that she believed were necessary and in the best interest of her employees and the County. She had simply requested to have two officer‘s switch court assignments, at least temporarily. The Sheriff approached her about her proposed change and told her he would only approve it if she performed sexual acts with him in the office right then and there. Lieutenant Balderrama reluctantly gave in to his request because she believed it was the only way she could make the personnel change she believed was best for her employees and the Department and out of fear of reprisal from the Sheriff. After a period of time Lieutenant Balderrama relationship with the sheriff became more or less consensual. However, Lieutenant Balderrama is adamant that the relationship began only because of the Sheriff‘s promises of advancement and implied threats and, on more than one occasion when Lieutenant Balderrama stated she wanted to end the sexual relationship, she only continued because of the Sheriff‘s repeated threats to move her to midnights. The Sheriff knew that this threat was particularly effective to coerce Lieutenant Balderrama because she was a single mother, raising two young boys and needed to be home with them in the evening. We are aware that Ms. Sangster is also a single mother and similar threats were made against her. It appears that the Sheriff preyed on single mothers working in the department. Sexual harassment by an authority figure like the Sheriff often involves taking advantage of the perceived weaknesses of his victims, like a single mother whose life would go into turmoil if forced to work the midnight shift. These fears of retribution, coupled with the Sheriff‘s insistence that she give into his sexual demands whenever he demanded it, caused Lieutenant Balderrama extreme and ongoing emotional distress. Lieutenant Balderrama loves her job at the Department and has lived in constant fear that, on a whim, the Sheriff could simply take it all away from her if she refused his advances, leaving her with no means to support her children. The incident in April of this year is the ultimate in humiliation and degradation. I am incapable of adequately expressing the humiliation and disgust I‘ve seen on Lieutenant Balderrama face when she has had to discuss this incident with Jeffrey Beemer, the attorney hired by the County to investigate the claims of sexual harassment. I have been advised that the County Commission authorized the County to participate in a mediation to see if the case, along with Ms. Sangster‘s case, can be resolved before the parties engage in a protracted and expensive litigation that will likely create great discord in the Sheriff‘s Department. We believe this may be an effective means to attempt to resolve these claims in a manner that could avoid the turmoil often associated with these lawsuits.
