Mar 25, 2008 5:38 pm US/Central
Jury Rejects Sex Harassment By State Worker
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Department of Human Services Chief of Staff Teyonda Wertz
Chicago Sun-Times
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Carlos Estes, former chauffeur for Department of Human Services Chief of Staff Teyonda Wertz
Chicago Sun-Times
A federal jury in Chicago has rejected a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against the Illinois Department of Human Services by a former employee.
The jury found against 37-year-old Carlos Estes on Tuesday.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports his attorneys painted Estes as a hero, a rare man with the guts to claim his female boss sexually harassed him.
"Sexual harassment does happen to men and it's important for men to speak out, no matter how difficult it is," said attorney Dana Kurtz.
But a federal court jury didn't buy it.
Bill Anderson, attorney for the Illinois Department of Human Services, said, "This case is about a woman who had a scandalous and scurrilous accusation made against her and had to live with it for five years."
The accused is Teyonda Wertz, chief of staff of the state Human Services Department. Wertz was chief of staff for DHS Secretary Carol Adams.
Estes charged that Wertz insisted the two share a room at a Springfield hotel during a 2003 business trip, that Wertz changed into silk pajamas and then demanded sex from Estes. He refused.
But Anderson said Estes' story didn't add up, that Estes admits he stayed in the room, and slept on the sofa.
"And he testified that he was terrified, petrified, and yet when she went to sleep, he went to sleep, too," Anderson said. "That's stupid."
Estes was fired three weeks later. He calls that retaliation. But the state blamed it on repeated misuse of a government car.
Now, his attorney claims the jury punished Estes just for being a man.
"Had it been a male supervisor in that room and a female subordinate, there'd be not question about what happened," Kurtz said.
Estes' attorneys say they're considering an appeal.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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