Fired Woman Cop Sues Ellensburg Her Suit Claims She Was Fired Because Of Stress Caused By Harassment

A former policewoman claims she was fired because of stress brought on by repeated incidents of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and unwanted touching by her male supervisors and co-workers.

Lisa Haugaard, 29, is suing the city of Ellensburg for an unspecified amount of money for lost wages, benefits, court costs and medical expenses related to stress. She was the Ellensburg Police Department’s only female officer for five years until she was fired in April.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Kittitas County Superior Court.

Ellensburg City Attorney Paul Sullivan said Wednesday he had not read the lawsuit. But he said an independent investigation in March found no proof of Haugaard’s claim of harassment.

Haugaard’s immediate supervisor, Sgt. Rick Baker, verbally assaulted her and subjected her to intense and unfair scrutiny over her driving, her weight, her shooting and for not writing enough tickets after she complained about unwanted touching and advances by an unnamed reserve officer, the lawsuit alleges.