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The women claim they were sexually harassed by a superior officer. Their harassment claims were substantiated by an Internal Affairs review, according to letters from Chief Chris Burbank and a city employment manager.

But the man accused of harassing the three officers  an assistant police chief  remained on duty for months after Burbank was officially notified of the claims, the women say. He resigned from the department shortly after becoming eligible to receive 20-year retirement benefits. Furthermore, the women say the man held a position of authority over them, including being the deputy chief in charge of Internal Affairs  the very department that would investigate their claims.

Because of that, the women say, they initially remained hesitant to report the alleged harassment.

Deputy Chief Rick Findlay was eventually placed on paid leave Nov. 8, 2013, and resigned from the department in June of 2014. He started at the department 20 years earlier on June 1, 1994.

Now those officers  Robin Heiden, Melody Gray and Tiffany Commagere  along with their attorney Ed Brass have notified the city that they intend to file a civil rights lawsuit against the city, the department, Findlay and Burbank. A notice of claim obtained by the Deseret News was filed with the city last year claiming each woman has been the subject of sexual harassment and ongoing retaliation.

Read more at deseretnews.com: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629298/3-veteran-officers-preparing-sex-harassment-lawsuit-against-Salt-Lake-City.html

Contributing: Sandra Yi

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