First Female Officer in Ossipee Sues Town, Alleges Harassment

A New Hampshire town is finding itself in the crossfire.

Ossipee’s first female police officer is suing the town, saying she was harassed at work.

Usnews.com reports that Kimberly Hatch has filed a discrimination suit against the town alleging she was “repeatedly subjected to gender based harassment by fellow department employees.”

Shortly after being hired, Hatch says a fellow officer used a stun gun on the back of her neck and wrote on her forehead, the news article reported.

According to usnews.com, Hatch was hired in 2012. She worked for the Ossipee Police Department for six years, but says she was afraid to file a complaints about the harassment.

Unionleader.com is reporting that the civil rights lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court alleging the department “created a hostile work environment where male officers made fun of her…and talked in degrading terms about women.”

The article states that this treatment caused Hatch to become sick to her stomach. She said she was fired in October of 2018 after getting in an accident with a police cruiser, according to the Union Leader, but supervisors accused her of lying in the report.

The Ossipee town administrator and Police Chief Joseph Duchesne have not commented on this story, according to unionleader.com.

Hatch is asking for monetary compensation for back and future wages and benefits. Unionleader.com reports that she is seeking jury trial.