The suit marks the second filed by a female employee claiming they were subjected to unwanted touching and advances by recently retired police director Hakim Sims
ORANGE -- The city is facing another lawsuit claiming it failed to protect a female employee from unwanted advances and other sexual harassment by former police director Hakim Sims.
In the suit filed Oct. 2 in Essex County Superior Court, the worker alleges that Sims repeatedly "touched her body without permission and made statements about having sex with him" while she worked in the city's Division of Community Affairs.
The city, Mayor Dwayne Warren and Division of Community Affairs Director Adrienne Wooten are also named as defendants. The plaintiff claims that Warren and Wooton either witnessed the alleged harassment or were informed of it, but failed to intervene or establish adequate controls to stop it.
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She claims Sims' "despicable conduct" created a hostile working environment, and she continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result. NJ Advance Media is declining to identify her because she is an alleged victim of a sex crime.
City spokesman Keith Royster acknowledged a request for comment, but did not immediately offer any response to the allegations.
The lawsuit is at least the second filed by against the city over Sims' alleged sexual conduct.
In January, a veteran female police officer also lodged a complaint in Essex County court, accusing him of consistently making suggestive and inappropriate remarks and advances toward her, including saying she "reminds him of a porn star." The suit also claimed that she was hit with administrative charges after rebuffing him.
An investigation by the city led to Sims' suspension with pay in May, but he opted to retire shortly thereafter. City officials have declined to comment on what led to the suspension, but multiple sources said the probe led them to other employees who corroborated the harassment allegations.
Sims, who was appointed director after Warren's election in 2012, has filed a $2.5 million tort claim against the city and the female lieutenant, calling the allegations "patently false" and accusing her of working on behalf of former mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr., with whom Sims had publicly battled.
The status of that claim is unclear. Sims' attorney, Gina Mendola Longarzo, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Wooten is also a political ally to Warren, who appointed her as community affairs director after she lost a bid for a City Council seat.
The plaintiff's Passaic-based attorney, Jose Torres, did not immediately return a request for comment. It is unclear whether she remains employed by the city.
She is seeking unspecified damages.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
