Mar. 31—Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation head Ed Underwood has settled a lawsuit with a secretary who alleged he repeatedly sexually harassed her for four years, both physically and verbally, and sexually assaulted her, then retaliated against her for reporting it to the department.
Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation head Ed Underwood has settled a lawsuit with a secretary who alleged he repeatedly sexually harassed her for four years, both physically and verbally, and sexually assaulted her, then retaliated against her for reporting it to the department.
Jamielynn Cassidy filed a civil complaint Aug. 18 in Circuit Court against Underwood, her boss, Department of Land and Natural Resources' DOBOR administrator, for allegedly sexually harassing her from 2017 to 2020.
She also sued DLNR, which she alleges allowed "the unrelenting sexual har assment " to continue and even encouraged it and failed to intervene, even after she asked defendants to stop it.
All parties signed a stipulation filed March 15 dismissing with prejudice all parties on all claims and issues in the amended complaint, meaning the claims cannot be raised again against any of the parties.
Underwood denied the allegations of sexual harassment and assault in his written answer to the amended complaint, and DLNR also denied any wrongdoing on its part.
The attorneys for DLNR and Underwood did not respond to questions on the case and the settlement, which comes five months before a scheduled jury-waived trial, and whether DLNR is aware of similar allegations against Underwood by other women.
Underwood and DLNR were represented by state deputy attorneys general, who deferred comment to the DLNR spokesperson, who did not respond to requests for comment.
The complaint alleges DLNR knew of Underwood subjecting Cassidy and other female employees to sexual harassment and assaults but failed to take prompt, reasonable remedial action.
It is unclear whether the state will retain Underwood, who has come under fire for his positions on a variety of issues as DOBOR head. There have been calls by some in the public for his removal.
Cassidy was initially hired in July 2016 as an office assistant III, then was promoted June 2019 to secretary III. DLNR said Underwood has been her supervisor since March 19, 2018.
She reported in April 2021 to DLNR about Underwood's "unwelcome and unsolicited verbal comments of a sexual nature, assault and battery and other employment related sexual harassment, " the amended complaint says.
The initial complaint details allegations that Underwood kept asking her to send before-and-after photos of her breasts when in June 2017 she requested time off for breast augmentation surgery and again in October 2017 after her surgery.