Judge orders Wyoming Military Department to pay in harassment case

Cheyenne, WY.    –   Last Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl ordered the Wyoming Military Department to pay 221 thousand dollars to Amanda Dykes, a former Wyoming National Guard officer who quit her job in 2011 after being sexually harassed by a supervisor.  Skavdahl did not require the Wyoming Military Department to implement policy changes, which Dykes’ had also requested, with the hopes of preventing future sexual harassment incidents.

Dykes was repeatedly harassed by her former supervisor, Don Smith, according to details found in her civil lawsuit. At the time, Smith was director of the Youth Challenge Program at Camp Guernsey. Dykes reportedly rejected the advances of Smith, repeatedly, and asked him to keep their relationship professional.

Judge Skavdahl stated in his ruling that he believed that Dykes was subject to continuous harassment by her supervisor because of her gender, and that her complaints to supervisors and human resources went unanswered. Skavdahl said that Dykes resignation was her only escape from the hostile work environment.

Dykes initally filed a gender discrimination complaint with the EEO Commission, and in March 2016, the Department of Justice filed the lawsuit on her behalf.