Lincoln Police Spokesperson Accuses City of Years of Sexual Assault and Discrimination

Erin Spilker, the public information officer for the Lincoln Police Department, has filed a complaint against the City of Lincoln. It alleges years of discrimination, sexual assault and harassment inside the department, according to KLKN-TV.

Spilker is the third female officer in the past year to file a lawsuit over sexual assault and harassment within the department. She alleges that multiple male Lincoln police officers sexually assaulted her.

The first incident she describes took place in 2014 at her home, where two male officers were present. According to the case documents, when one of them left the room, the other approached her from behind and assaulted her. The documents say she did not report it "for fear of retaliation, ridicule, and trauma that she would have been subjected to within the department."

Spilker alleges a second assault by another officer at a Halloween party in 2015. She again chose not to report it, the complaint says, because she wanted to avoid harassment and discrimination.

In 2017, she alleges, another male officer grew frustrated that she would not have sexual relations with him. He allegedly said she "owed him" and was "a tease." The complaint says he later approached her at work, trapped her in a chair and harassed her.

Around Nov. 6, 2020, a complaint about an officer's alleged sexual assault of Spilker was filed with the city's Equal Employment Opportunity office. It also raised other allegations of misconduct involving that officer.

Beyond the assaults, Spilker details repeated harassment and discrimination at work. She says co-workers and supervisors often commented on her weight, her personal relationships and her interactions with colleagues.

Spilker took part in a Zoom call with Mayor Lerion Gaylor-Baird and several other female officers. She said she would never want her daughter to work for the department because it is not a safe place for women. According to the complaint, participants discussed how women in the department were groomed not to report Equal Employment Opportunity violations. They also noted that the department has never named a female officer its officer of the year, and they said a new leader was needed to set a different tone.

Around March 25, 2021, the department signed the 30x30 pledge, a movement to change the culture for women in policing. Around April 14, 2021, the Lincoln Police Union voted against publicly supporting the initiative.

Teresa Ewins was chosen as the new police chief in August 2021, and Spilker was hopeful she would bring change. Ewins read statements from Spilker and three other female officers about sex discrimination or retaliation. The complaint alleges that Ewins has at times been abrupt and unpleasant with Spilker, which has made Spilker's job difficult because the two work closely together.