More problems for the Nebraska State Patrol as an officer files a federal lawsuit against the agency.
Brienne Splittgerber filed the lawsuit after claiming that she and other female recruits underwent “medically unnecessary and sexually invasive” exams before being hired.
Splittgerber is not only suing the Patrol, but the doctor who allegedly performed the exams Dr. Stephen Haudrich, former Colonel Bradley Rice, who was fired earlier this summer and retired Colonel David Sankey. Three unnamed mean and three unnamed women are also being sued for allegedly conspiring to cover up the incident.
The lawsuit states that when Splittgerber went to Dr. Haudrich for a pre-employment evaluation, in September of 2014, he had her remove her pants, lay on a table, bend and open her knees, exposing herself.
When Splittgerber told her personal doctor about the incident, they informed her that the was no medical purpose for doing that. Splittgerber says after reporting it to commanding officers she learned that other women had been subjected to similar scenarios. She says that with one possible exception, no male recruits had to do this type of examination.
After being told that the incident would be looked into, Splittgerber began to believe that her concerns were being dismissed and the incident was being covered up.
She is suing for damages and a jury trial.