Captain Showed My Sexual Harassment Report To Unrelated Staff

Location: Florida

I submitted an incident report to my captain about sexual harassment by another officer (touching, direct comments, persistence after denying advances, and in front of an inmate) which she forwarded to HR.

HR sent me a complaint form to fill out so I did. The same day the captain made a statement to the staff that they do not tolerate sexual harassment. The next day HR sent me an email stating that the inspector general has returned my claim back to HR without an investigation due to insufficient evidence that a civil rights law was violated. They acknowledged the misconduct in the workplace and said it was forwarded to the warden to properly address my complaint.

Later on I experienced hostile behavior from the officer I reported (balled fists, non verbal, stomping, snatching from my hands, etc) so I avoided his area of work ever since.

Days later an unrelated lieutenant mentioned my sexual harassment report to me in a humorous way. Then, he told an unrelated officer about my report and that it “cracked him up” because of how I rejected the officer I reported. The only way this lieutenant unrelated to my incident could have read this report is if the captain let him read the copy I emailed her. Even though the “investigation” was closed and my report is a public record, he did not obtain visual of my report through a formal public records request and obtained it off the books and informally from the captain. I feel as if this action could’ve put me at risk for future retaliation, embarrassment, and further the hostile work environment.

Due to my lack of faith and severe distrust of management and HR, I failed to report a separate incident of sexual misconduct and ended up quitting that same day it happened. Now I have no job, no health insurance, nothing.

I made a post yesterday on reddit about it thinking nothing of it until everyone started saying I should get a lawyer. I have reached out to two lawyers yet both have denied my case. I believe there’s instances of mishandling, breach of confidentiality, hostile work environment, and constructive discharge. This is a public government agency so I fear it won’t be worth going to court over considering two lawyers have denied my case.