Litigation

STATE OF ILLINOIS EMPLOYEE LOSES HARASSMENT SUIT

By Mark P. Loftus, Esq.

A federal jury recently returned a verdict against Carlos Estes in his sexual harassment suit against Teyonda Wertz, his boss at the Illinois Department of Human Services. Estes was a driver/special assistant for Wertz, who is Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Human Services. The portion of the case that got the most attention arose out of a trip Estes and Wertz made down to Springfield, Illinois for a conference.

According to Estes, he learned upon his arrival to Springfield that he had to share a hotel suite with Wertz. Estes testified that after getting settled into the room, Wertz ordered him into the bedroom and then ordered him to take off his clothes and make love to her. Estes testified that he refused to have sex with Wertz, but did change into pajamas and laid down on the bed, where he eventually fell asleep next to Wertz.

Wertz testified that Estes volunteered to share the suite. She further testified that she stayed in the bedroom portion of the suite the entire time[alone]with the door shut.

In summing up the trial, one of the jurors noted, "...speaking for myself, I didn't believe either one of them."

Full post as published by Illinois Lawyer Blog on March 27, 2008 (boomark / email).