Updated 7:52 pm
A former Tisbury police officer is suing the town and two police personnel over allegations of a hostile work environment, discrimination, and retaliation, becoming at least the third officer in five years to come forward with similar complaints in the department.
Julia Levesque, who worked for the Tisbury Police Department for four years, filed the civil suit in Dukes County Superior Court on June 25. Besides the town, Tisbury Police Chief Chris Habekost and Court Officer Peter (“Nick”) Sidoti were named as defendants in the suit.
The complaint states Levesque is seeking a “trial by jury” on the counts of sex discrimination, illigal discrimination based on military service, retaliation, a hostile work environment, and “interference, coercion, or intimidation.” Levesque is seeking $1.125 million in damages
“It’s a financial issue, and she’s lost her employment as a consequence of the treatment she received there,” Tim Burke, the lawyer representing Levesque, said. “The jury, ultimately will make the decision as to what the impact is for the loss of her employment, but more importantly the discrimination and hostile work environment she’s encountered.”
Tisbury Police initially conducted an internal investigation into Levesque’s complaint and Sidoti was ordered not to have contact with her outside of working hours.
Levesque’s complaint follows a string of others filed over the years by former Tisbury police officers who were rewarded by the courts. In 2022, the town settled with former Tisbury Police Sgt. Kindia Roman for $240,000 over a case in which she alleged she faced discrimination and was retaliated against. The town had also settled with former Tisbury Police Lt. Eerik Meisner for $400,000 in 2020 after allegations the previous year there was retaliation against him for his support of Roman. In 2023, Tisbury settled with former police candidate Danielle Clermont for $75,000, who alleged she was denied a position in the department because the town and Sherman had conspired against her.
Burke had represented the officers in each of these cases, and he said “very few police departments have the repeat encounters that we’ve had here.” He said this usually stems from a lack of training, policies and procedure, or enforcement of the policies and procedures.
“It is unusual, to say the least, that there has been as many within a small police department as Tisbury is,” he said.
Town and police officials would not comment when asked by The Times.
For the most recent complaint, Levesque reported to her supervisor in August of 2022 that Sidoti had “engaged in multiple acts of misconduct and inappropriate sexual behavior” for months toward her in ways that she “considered harassment and [a] violation of department rules.” Other officers also noticed and commented on Sidoti’s “harassing and stalking behavior” toward Levesque, noted in the department’s internal investigation. Sidoti allegedly sent a text earlier that month asking Levesque what she was wearing, which she did not respond to.
In another instance, August 14, 2022, the complaint states that Sidoti allegedly placed his hand on Levesque’s inner thigh and leg while reenacting a story about “a friend who was drunk and ‘touchy-feely.’” According to the internal investigation report conducted by police, Sidoti admitted to having touched Levesque’s leg but claimed he made contact with her knee and not thigh.
A month prior in 2022, Sidoti also texted Levesque about a photo she posted on social media he thought was “cute,” according to the complaint. The complaint stated that when Levesque responded by saying she would take down the photo, Sidoti allegedly responded with the following text:
“Oh Jesus. Don’t f— with me like that. I say stupid shit sometimes when I’m bored, tired or in pain. Filters or not, I think [that] picture is hot. So there. Stop corrupting my innocent mind. Ok, I’m going to confession now.”
Levesque also alleged that she was ostracized within the department after reporting the sexual harassment from Sidoti. The complaint highlighted instances in which she was not informed of promotion opportunities despite having provided her cell phone number for when she was deployed overseas with the U.S. Army National Guard.
After the internal investigation, Sidoti was ordered not to have contact with Levesque besides work-related matters. However, the decision meant that she couldn’t work during the day because he had been promoted to a court officer. Sidoti had been promoted to a court officer before Levesque returned from her deployment in January of 2024.
The scheduling conflicts also allegedly pushed Levesque from being able to work overtime shifts.
When Levesque complained to Habekost, pointing out that there was an agreement in place regarding contact between her and Sidoti, the chief allegedly responded, “Well, do you still want that?” The complaint alleges that Levesque experienced further ostracization in the department after this.
The complaint noted Levesque submitted an “involuntary letter of resignation” based on a hostile work environment to Habekost on August 15, 2024. In November, she filed a charge of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, although this charge has since been dropped.
Levesque wrote in her letter that while an investigation had taken place, she felt her complaint was not taken seriously and “orders that were given to the officer not to have interaction with me were repeatedly violated, including him being made the court officer and given a shift assignment that prevented me from working any day shifts.”
“All of these events have ultimately led me to no longer enjoy or feel safe while working under these circumstances,” Levesque wrote. “From how this investigation was handled, which other officers felt should have resulted in either termination or possible criminal charges, to the failure to enforce the orders given to not interact with me, I am making the decision to resign as a result of a toxic work environment and what I believe is the protection of an individual I reported for sexual harassment and assault. I do not wish to have an exit interview with the town but these are the reasons why I have handed in my notice.”
Levesque was sworn into the Oak Bluffs Police Department in December of 2024.
Habekost and Sidoti did not respond for comment.
Tisbury town administrator Joseph LaCivita declined to comment as the case is still open. The actions alleged in the suit occurred before he was hired as town administrator. An attorney is not yet listed for the town in the state court system.
Updated with comments from Tim Burke.
Think of all the nice things we could have with the money going to all these payouts because we don’t have a Chief that can run a department.
If you want to complain about your tax bill, you should be in favor of canning this chief. If you want to complain about anything fiscal in town, you should be in favor of canning this chief.
What are the select board members waiting for and how many more of these lawsuits until he is gone?
And are there any women left on the force and for how long will they stay?
And my suggestion to Attorney Burke: I think you should start with higher amounts and include emotional distress and defamation of character. Your claims seem to not match the dollar amounts you are willing to settle for.
At this rate the Tisbury Police Department is going to have to install one of those “We have gone (?) days without being the cause of a lawsuit being filed against Tisbury ” signs out front of the Water St station.
A single numeral “1” is about all that will be needed to maintain it.
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