University Settles Dispatcher’s Harassment Lawsuit

A former Western Washington University police dispatcher has reached a settlement in her civil lawsuit agency her employer alleging she was improperly fired in 2007 for complaining about her co-workers misconduct. Shannon O’Dwyer, 40, worked at the Honolulu (Hi.) police department before joining the university’s police department. In her lawsuit filed in 2009, O’Dwyer said other dispatchers made remarks that the university hired minorities only to fulfill quotas, claimed a female employee kept her job only because she performed sexual favors, and that an African-American was promoted only because of his race. A fellow dispatcher once called out a female dispatcher, saying she dressed like a “Mexican prostitute.” O’Dwyer reported the conduct, but the university took no action, she said in the lawsuit. Within weeks they fired her, just four months into her probationary period. Now the university has agreed to settle the lawsuit for $135,000, but still denies any wrongdoing. Read more about the lawsuit and the settlement here.