Department of Justice Files Complaint Alleging Sex Discrimination Against the City of Ecorse, Michigan

Washington, July 18, 2008 - It was announced on July 18 by the Department of Justice that a complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the City of Ecorse, Michigan alleging that the city discriminated against two women formerly employed in the city clerk's office. The two women complained that they were subjected to sexual harassment by their supervisor for creating a hostile work environment.

In the complaint, it is alleged that the supervisor, Gary Sammons, the former city clerk, harassed the two women from the fall of 2005 into the spring of 2006. The complaint alleges, among other things, that Sammons regularly asked the women employees out on dates, touched them in an offensive way and made sexually disgusting remarks toward them. The complaint states that Sammons continually asked one of the women for sex with the condition that if she agreed, he would approve an application for her to attend work-related training. Even though the women reported the supervisor's actions to the city, no action was taken to prevent or correct the harassment. The lawsuit states that Larry Salisbury, the mayor of Ecorse at the time, did nothing to stop the alleged Harassment. Sammons denies the allegations ever happened and Salisbury claims he never received any complaints from the two women.

Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil rights Division, Grace Chung Becker, said "Women should not have to endure this type of treatment in the workplace." She promised that "The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue cases in which a public employer turns a blind eye to sexual harassment and fails to take prompt and effective action to stop sexual harassment in the workplace."