The former police chief in the city of Cornell has been accused of sexually assaulting an officer at work.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin, Cornell police officer Heather Hutchins accuses former police chief Cornell Brian Hurt of sexual assault, unwanted sexual advances and making the acceptance of those advances a condition of her continued employment with the department.
Hutchins’ lawsuit also claims that Hurt, “intentionally and unlawfully discriminated against (her) on the basis of sex. (She) has also raised state law assault and battery claims.”
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The suit alleges that Hutchins’ rights were violated shortly after she started working at the Cornell Police Department, according to court documents. Hutchins started her job at the department in February 2021. Hutchins was required to complete a six-week field training program.
During her training period, Hutchins went on ride-alongs with Hurt. She alleges that Hurt “inappropriately embraced (her) and spoke to her about explicit sexual conduct.”
In March 2021 in the breakroom, Hurt touched her back and shoulders, Hutchins told him that was inappropriate, and she asked him to not do that again, the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Hurt talked to Hutchins about sexually explicit conduct while the two were in a squad car together on March 25, while at a graveyard. Hurt described explicit sexual conduct to Hutchins, court documents allege. Later that same day, Hurt inappropriately grabbed Hutchins, kissed her and forced her to put her hands on his genitals while they were in the police station breakroom.
Hutchins said she reported the conduct March 25, 2021, to another officer.
She also said Hurt returned to the department that night and “Hurt threatened to put a bullet in his head.”
Hutchins claims that she feared losing her job because in a conversation “Hurt replied that she should not say anything or she might lose her job.”
Hutchins is being represented by Madison attorney Robert Gringas of Gringas Thomesen & Wachs LLP, who requested a six-person jury to hear the case.
The lawsuit claims that as a result of the “unlawful conduct by Hurt as set forth herein, Hutchins sustained severe emotional injuries and suffered other losses and damages, in an amount to be determined at a trial of this matter.”
The lawsuit claims that the city of Cornell is “vicariously liable” to Hutchins for damages since Hurt was employed by the city.
Hurt, 55, was hired as Cornell police chief in fall 2013. He retired shortly after the alleged incidents described in the lawsuit.