Former Minneapolis official alleges sex harassment

A former Minneapolis emergency preparedness official has filed a lawsuit alleging that her boss sexually harassed and discriminated against her for over five years.

Lisa Dressler, deputy director of emergency preparedness for the city from 2007 to 2012, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on Tuesday. She said Rocco Forte, the head of Minneapolis regulatory services until he resigned in 2011, harassed her while she worked for the city.

The lawsuit against Forte and the city alleges that Forte engaged in a range of inappropriate behaviors, from making regular sexual comments during work hours to retaliating against what he saw as disloyalty.

"Two to three times per week [Dressler] was forced to listen to Forte talk about his prowess in the bedroom, especially with Minneapolis employees who Forte seemed to consider trophy conquests," according to the lawsuit.

Dressler alleges in the lawsuit that Forte also regularly touched her at work and commented on her appearance, telling her on a monthly basis that he'd hired her because he liked dark-haired women.

"Forte would order [Dressler] to sit next to him in meetings, where he would proceed to touch her legs with his hands, rubbing her knee, and leg," according to the allegations. "He would almost daily intentionally brush his body against hers in a sexual manner. He continued to engage in such conduct even when [Dressler] protested and told him to stop."

Dressler also said Forte would call her on nights and weekends to scream and swear at her about work issues. She also claims that Forte and a girlfriend tried to retaliate against her following the city's investigation into Forte, and that the city failed to protect her against it.

Forte resigned in 2011 during the investigation into allegations that he created a hostile work environment. Documents released last year in response to a request from MPR News show that Forte and a woman he was involved with took revenge on co-workers they viewed as enemies.

"Payback time," Forte wrote in a 2010 email about a woman whose name had been redacted and whom the couple described as the "ring leader" of opposition to Forte, according to emails obtained in the data request.

Dressler says in the lawsuit that Forte examined her work cell phone records to see who she talked to at the city.

Dressler also alleges that she was punished by Forte with extended employment probation following her maternity leave, being forced to book hotels for Forte's sexual trysts and getting propositioned to engage in a threesome with Forte and his girlfriend.

Efforts to reach Forte were unsuccessful. In an interview during the city's investigation, Forte denied retaliating against employees and contended that he merely had a "command and control" management style.

Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal said "the city has responded lawfully and appropriately to allegations that have been brought forward" about Forte.

"In this case, the city did conduct a thorough investigation of all complaints that were available at the time, and Mr. Forte has not been employed with the city since sometime in 2011," Segal said.

Segal rejected the claim that the city tolerated sexual harassment or gender discrimination in the workplace.

"We have a robust policy and many ways that people can complain if they feel they are being subjected to that kind of treatment, including a confidential hotline, and we encourage all employees to do that," Segal said.

Forte enjoyed a high profile as the head of emergency response during the 2007 Interstate 35W bridge collapse. As head of the city's emergency response and regulatory services, Forte managed nearly 380 employees. He joined the city as a firefighter in 1975 and was promoted to chief in 1998.