VACAVILLE --

A Vacaville police officer who is a former Oakland Raiderette has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the city, saying she was sexually harassed and ostracized because of her cheerleader past.

Nicole Rosenstiel, 35, of Yountville said in her federal civil-rights suit that she was subjected to jokes and unwelcome comments about her looks by fellow officers at the Vacaville Police Department, which she joined in 2004 She has been on unpaid leave since 2009.

Colleagues made snide references to her having been a cheerleader for the Raiders from 1997 to 2001, said her suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento.

According to the suit, during a change of shift one day, a sergeant "asked for a show of hands by those officers who wanted to see plaintiff naked," the suit says. One officer told Rosenstiel in front of other officers, "Nice rack," according to the complaint.

"Her supervisor told her that she should not work out in the department's gym because she would draw attention to herself because of her appearance," the suit said. "Altered photographs of her and Oakland Raiders 'Raiderettes' were posted with a caption, 'Stay away from my daddy, bitch.' "

"People just thought that it was OK to treat me like that," Rosenstiel said in an interview Thursday. "No one deserves to be treated that way."

Mark Mazzaferro, a spokesman for the city of Vacaville, said, "We feel that the complaint is without merit, and we intend to litigate this vigorously."

Rosenstiel's lawsuit also says she was falsely accused of workers' compensation fraud after she was hurt in a police defensive tactics class. After being returned to full duty, she realized she was still injured, but the city denied her a medical retirement or a return to light-duty status, the suit says.

She filed a complaint with the city, which prompted an internal affairs investigation that led to Solano County prosecutors charging her with 10 felony counts of fraud for allegedly filing false workers' compensation claims. The charges were dismissed this year.

The suit names the city, Police Chief Richard Word and Lt. Craig Courtemanche, who headed internal affairs at the time and is now retired.

Rosenstiel's attorney is Oakland civil rights lawyer John Burris.