She was a fresh RCMP officer, straight out of Depot when she was posted to a remote location for her first job.

The female officer, who can't be named due to privacy reasons, moved to her new home with her husband, feeling optimistic about starting her new career.

It was only a two-man detachment, consisting of herself and a corporal. But eventually, it's alleged, the corporal began following her around town when she was off duty. This continued for a month or two, but there wasn't much she could do.

One day when she was in the shower at home, it's alleged the corporal entered the property unannounced and walked into the bathroom. The woman's husband showed up and confronted the corporal.

A formal complaint was filed and the corporal was transferred to another location.

Allegations such as this have left a dark cloud looming over the RCMP.

Nearly 300 female Mounties across the country are now involved in a lawsuit against the organization, claiming rampant gender discrimination and sexual harassment within the force, which failed to do anything about it. Thirty-five of those women are from Alberta and 15 of are still within the force.

The suit was launched in March 2012 by former B.C. Const. Janet Merlo, who describes in her claim the sexist comments, sexual pranks, derogatory remarks and double standards she endured during her 20 years on the force.

Women began speaking out after former RCMP Cpl. Catherine Galliford, a former spokeswoman on the Missing Woman Joint Task Force, went public with her harassment stories in 2011.

The complaints range from being in a stressful toxic work environment to sexual assault and the inability to work.

Sandy Zaitzeff is a Thunder Bay, Ont., lawyer involved in the suit. For many of the women, he said, the consequences of the bullying, harassment and discrimination have been devastating, leaving them with PTSD, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and a host of other psychological problems.

"They'll (colleagues) do it day after day, month after month, year after year. Then it gets into the decades for some of the women," said Zaitzeff, who's interviewed female RCMP officers from the Maritimes to Victoria, B.C., listening to their stories for hours.

Many of the women start sobbing. Zaitzeff is surprised more haven't come forward.

"If you ask them how many more there are, they will tell you that they think it's for sure one out or two, maybe higher than that. They don't want to dredge it all up," said Zaitzeff, whose dealt with a variety of cases during his 37 years as a lawyer.

"These cases rank with the saddest cases that I've ever had. In many cases there are failed relationships, failed marriages and referred PTSD to the children and that's what makes it very sad. These women bare the burden and they'll likely bare this burden for the rest of their lives."

At any one time, Zaitzeff said between 19,000 to 20,000 officers work with RCMP. Women make up approximately 20 to 25% of the force, accounting for 4,000 to 5,000 members.

The women involved in the lawsuit are various ages and from all levels within the force. They have documented files that have been investigated by the RCMP itself. Allegations have been proven, said Zaitseff, but facts were simply buried.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court. The RCMP has issued denials in several of the cases and RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulsen has criticized some of the members who have gone public.

Zaitzeff said it's not money the women are after, but hope that the lawsuit will bring some positive changes for females in the force and repair a once squeaky clean image now tarnished by scandals.

"This was possibly the number one police force respected world-wide for integrity, for honesty and now look at this," he said. "It's an absurd, grotesque, horrid situation that has come to light and that's what the women want -- they want it to come to light, they want change and they want the reputation of the RCMP to be re established."