Geiger Officer Sues County Over Job Stress Woman Who Won Job Back Says Co-Workers Harassing Her

A Geiger Corrections Center officer is suing Spokane County and some of its top employees, claiming co-workers conspired to get her fired.

Sunny Pilkington was fired in 1992 for alleged sexual contact with an inmate. She won an arbitration ruling and returned to work, with back wages, in 1994.

In a suit filed earlier this month in U.S. District Court, Pilkington claims co-workers continue to harass her, and that the county has not done enough to protect her or clear her name.

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, says stress at work has caused Pilkington’s high blood pressure, migraines, panic attacks, agoraphobia and depression.

Among the defendants is county Administrator Jim Lindow, who was Geiger’s supervisor until early 1995. Lindow fired Pilkington based on a report by Geiger investigator Edwin Rosario.

Other defendants include Corrections Director Gary Oberg, current Geiger Director Mike Pannek, corrections officer Michael Horstman and Rosario.

Pilkington’s attorney, Carl Maxey, did not return a phone message Monday. Horstman’s telephone number is unlisted and Rosario was not home. Lindow, Oberg and Pannek said they have been advised by county attorneys not to discuss the lawsuit.

“Not that I wouldn’t like to, but I had best not,” said Oberg.

Pilkington claims Rosario and Horstman rigged a videotape used as evidence against her during the arbitration hearing.

The tape was made to familiarize the arbitrator with the inside of the storeroom where Horstman alleged he caught Pilkington and an inmate with the lights turned out. In the video, which was filmed by Rosario, Horstman flipped a switch just inside the storeroom door, and the room lighted.

The county withdrew the tape as evidence in the hearing after Geiger’s electrician testified that the only switch to the storeroom light was on the opposite end of the room. Pilkington contends the lights were out because she was looking for that switch.

After Pilkington was reinstated, county officials filed evidence-tampering charges against Horstman and Rosario. District Court Judge John Madden ruled the charge didn’t apply, since the tape wasn’t used in a court hearing. The workers were not reprimanded.

Pilkington claimed some of her co-workers wanted her fired because they considered her a troublemaker.

She had reported Horstman for drinking on the job two weeks before he raised allegations against her. Court documents do not say whether those allegations proved true.

After Pilkington was fired, supervisors promoted Horstman from van driver to corrections officer, and gave him Pilkington’s badge number.

, DataTimes