NJ Lawyer Claims Officer Put Metal Detector Wand Up Her Skirt

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A New Jersey lawyer filed a lawsuit accusing a Sussex County sheriff’s officer of putting a metal detector wand up her skirt when she visited the county jail in August, NJ.com reported on Monday.

Bonita Bourke claims that after she set off the metal detector at the Sussex County jail, corrections officer Sean Long “inappropriately” put his detection wand in between her legs and up her skirt, according to NJ.com

Bourke said that she objected to Long’s use of the wand, but was allegedly told that it was necessary for him to use the wand in that way before she could enter the jail. Bourke claims that Long put the wand between her legs a second time after she objected, according to NJ.com.

In the lawsuit, Bourke accused Long of sexual harassment and said his actions “created a hostile environment in a place of public accommodation.”

She initially filed the lawsuit in October, but amended the suit in January, claiming that the Sussex County sheriff’s office retaliated against her after she filed the lawsuit, according to NJ.com.

Attorney John Gonzo, who represents the Sussex County officers, said that “all the allegations have been denied,” according to NJ.com. Gonzo said that video footage does not show Long putting the wand up Bourke’s skirt.

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