A K-9 officer with the Harford County Sheriff's Office has filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, claiming she was demoted and stripped of her K-9 partner after she reported that a coworker was sexually harassing her. The lawsuit was reported this week, putting a spotlight on how the agency handled an internal harassment complaint from one of its own.
The lawsuit alleges that retaliation followed directly from the officer's decision to come forward about a coworker's conduct. A photo caption identifies the officer as Dfc. Paige Yedinak, pictured with K-9 Ricky, though that identification carries only medium confidence in the available reporting. The case was also covered by CBS News, which reported on the sheriff being sued over accusations of retaliation tied to the harassment complaint.
What Harford County's Own Policy Says
The sheriff's office maintains a written policy stating it has zero tolerance for sexual harassment, workplace harassment, or discrimination of any kind. Per the agency's own policy document, the Harford County Sheriff's Office says it will “maintain a zero tolerance in dealing with any forms of sexual harassment, workplace harassment, or discrimination.”
That same policy spells out a broad list of protected categories. The Harford County Sheriff's Office prohibits discrimination or harassment based on characteristics including age, ancestry, color, creed, sex, and gender identity or expression, among others, according to the department's published guidelines.
State Law and Past Cases Involving Maryland Sheriffs
Maryland law separately bars employers from discriminating against workers based on sex when it comes to hiring, firing, pay, or other terms of employment. Under Maryland General Statutes Section 20-606(a)(1), an employer may not fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an individual regarding compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of specified characteristics, including sex, according to the Maryland General Assembly.
Harassment and retaliation claims against Maryland sheriff's offices are not without precedent. In 2015, the U.S. Justice Department settled a sexual-harassment and retaliation suit involving the State of Maryland, Queen Anne's County, and the Queen Anne's County Sheriff, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It remains unclear whether the allegations in the Harford County case have been tested or addressed in court, and there has been no public response yet from Sheriff Gahler or the sheriff's office regarding the lawsuit's claims. Hoodline will continue to follow the case as more information becomes available.
