Lawsuit Against the City From a Former LPD Officer Moves Forward

LINCOLN–(Mar. 16)–A lawsuit against the city of Lincoln from former LPD officer Erin Spilker is a step closer to what may be a jury trial.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that a Lancaster County District Court judge on Tuesday overruled a motion from the city to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Spilker. Her lawsuit alleges graphic sexual harassment comments by male officers and a hostile work environment based on sex and retaliation.

Last August, Lancaster County District Court Judge Kevin McManaman dismissed Spilker’s lawsuit, saying her extensive allegations amounted to “an amalgamation of discrete incidents and not one unlawful employment practice.”

Spilker’s attorney, Kelly Brandon, filed an amended 71-page complaint in October. City attorneys argued at a hearing in December that the allegations included in the lengthened complaint still weren’t specific enough to go forward, advocating for another dismissal.

On Tuesday, Judge McManaman said Spilker’s attorney had “plausibly alleged a continuing hostile work environment based on sex and retaliation.”

Spilker had resigned from LPD in March of 2022.