IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – The lawsuit filed by former Iron Mountain Police Department (IMPD) officer Teresa Williams has been settled, with the City of Iron Mountain agreeing to pay $475,000. Williams, who was the first and only female officer in the department’s history, alleged sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation during her employment. The case, Williams v. City of Iron Mountain (Teresa Williams v. Iron Mountain, City of et. al., Case No. 2:23-cv-00032-HYJ), was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in February 2023 and was listed as terminated as of July 26, 2024.
In February 2023, WZMQ reported that Williams had filed suit against the department, alleging that IMPD Director Ed Mattson, Deputy Director Joseph Dumais, and Sergeant Garth Budek subjected her to years of harassment and retaliation, ultimately forcing her resignation. Williams claimed her male supervisors and colleagues held her to different standards, made inappropriate comments, and placed bets on who would have sex with her first. According to her attorney, Jack Schulz, Williams faced “the most horrific” treatment he had seen in his legal career.
The City of Iron Mountain issued a statement following the settlement, stating:
“The City of Iron Mountain has reached a resolution in the lawsuit filed by Teresa (Carr) Williams. The lawsuit, which alleged claims of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation, has been settled to the satisfaction of all parties. The settlement, paid entirely by the City’s insurer, was in the amount of $475,000. While the City firmly denies any liability in this matter, the decision to settle was made by the City and its insurer to avoid further costs and expenses associated with protracted litigation, as well as to mitigate the uncertainty of trial. The City has long maintained that there was never any sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation by any City employee against Ms. (Carr) Williams. The City is still committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees and takes any allegations of harassment or discrimination seriously. It has a committed history of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and policies and procedures in place to prevent harassment and discrimination.”
