A female police officer has filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, harassment, and retaliation within her department. Melissa Russell filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on June 21, 2024, against the Village of Skokie and three individual defendants: Chief Brian Baker, Chief Jesse Barnes, and Commander Timothy Gramins.
Russell claims that she faced persistent gender-based discrimination throughout her tenure at the Skokie Police Department. She alleges that her male counterparts received more favorable treatment and consideration. For instance, Russell asserts that she was harassed about her use of time off for medical treatments related to injuries sustained in the line of duty. Despite these injuries being work-related, she was required to use personal insurance and funds for medical expenses instead of workers' compensation. "Defendants required Plaintiff to use personal time for all medical treatments," reads one part of the complaint.
The plaintiff also details numerous instances where she was subjected to unwarranted complaints and increased scrutiny compared to her male colleagues. One notable example includes an incident in August 2022 when she was disciplined for working out during her lunch break—a privilege allowed to male employees without repercussions. Furthermore, Russell accuses her superiors of undermining her work performance evaluations by making false complaints just before promotional assessments.
Russell's complaint outlines how she has been passed over for promotion eight times since December 2017 despite receiving "exceptional" performance reviews—the highest rating in the department. She contends that a male officer who had not completed necessary training was promoted over her. The complaint also highlights a systemic issue within the department regarding gender discrimination in promotions: "The Skokie Police Department has a longstanding pattern and practice of discriminating against female officers in the promotional process."
In addition to seeking back pay and compensatory damages, Russell requests punitive damages against the individual defendants and demands an order promoting her to the rank of Commander with all corresponding benefits from when she should have been promoted through trial. She also seeks injunctive relief to prevent further discrimination against herself and other female officers.
The case is being handled by attorneys Keith L. Hunt and Delaney A. Hunt from Hunt Law PC. The presiding judge is yet to be named, but the case ID is 24 CV 5197.