City of Portland to decide whether to settle sexual harassment lawsuit
PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Portland is expected to decide Wednesday whether to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against a Portland Police Bureau employee.
If the city does settle, it will be the second time in seven years it paid for a case involving that same employee.
Robert Bruders, a Portland police officer in 2011, was accused of severely beating a man suspected of driving drunk.
In 2014, a jury awarded that man a half a million dollars, which was Portland's largest ever police brutality award.
Bruders resigned but was rehired for a desk job within the bureau.
Now, he faces a lawsuit from a former police employee who says he sexually harassed her.
“Bruders hit on her so aggressively that she went to human resources. The woman there said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid of him too.' She said all she could do was help the client devise a safety plan,” said Greg Kafoury, attorney for the plaintiff.
The suit is seeking a settlement of $250,000.
If approved, Bruders will be partially responsible for almost $800,000 in taxpayer money being paid out.