Officer loses bid to end harassment lawsuit

A judge last week denied a request by East Chicago Police Sgt. Juda Parks to toss a lawsuit filed by two women that alleges Parks violated their constitutional rights by asking for nude photos and harassing them on the job.

U.S. District Court Judge James T. Moody March 31 ruled against the request for summary judgment filed by Parks and the City of East Chicago, the defendants in the case.

“First, the court rejects the defendant’s argument that no reasonable juror cold conclude that it is offensive when a workplace superior asks for nude photographs from a subordinate,” Moody wrote.

The women were part of the East Chicago police officer training program where Parks was an instructor, and allege the harassment took place during that period.

The plaintiffs, Madeline Melendez and Ashly Rodriguez, allege the Parks asked them for nude photos while he was assigned as their field training officer during the office training program.

Melendez alleged Parks asked her for nude photographs while she was inside a police car with him during her field officer training program in 2018, according to the court documents.

Melendez claims that after asking her for nude photographs, Parks said “You owe me,” that he was in charge of her and that he was the person who determines what goes on her reviews. Melendez further alleges that defendant then “said that he was going to ask me again, and do I want to send him nude pictures,” according to the court record.

Melendez alleges after she did not respond to the request Parks embarrassed and reprimanded her in front of other officers the documents continue, according to the documents.

Rodriguez also alleges that defendant asked her for nude photographs during her FTO phase. She claims that she said nothing in response, because “(w) hat do you do when your sergeant and your FTO asks you for nude pictures and your job is on the line at that point? ... Because if I don’t give it to him, he could just write any reports and fire me,” according to the court documents.

Both women allege Parks made inappropriate physical contact and comments to them while they were in the training program and on the job.

In his ruling, Moody wrote “given the facts taken in a light most favorable to plaintiffs, a reasonable juror could conclude that defendant’s treatment of plaintiffs was objectively and subjectively hostile.”