Ocean City To Pay $300K To Ex-Cop In Harassment Suit Settlement

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City will pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former police officer who said she was sexually harassed by male coworkers during her nine years on the job.

Vanessa Strunk filed the discrimination lawsuit in 2018. She claimed that several male officers harassed her between 2009 and 2018, including spreading rumors about her having an affair, displaying her underwear in the police locker room and insinuating that she couldn't do her job well because she's a woman.

The City denied sexual harassment and workplace retaliation in its response to the 2018 complaint. In the settlement completed last month, the City doesn't admit to any wrongdoing.

Strunk will receive $200,000 and the remaining $100,000 will go to the law firm representing her, Ionno & Higbee LLC.

Patch's attempts to reach a city official who could comment on the matter were unsuccessful.

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