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Henderson to unveil complaint hotline in wake of harassment report

Updated January 19, 2018 - 10:47 pm

The city of Henderson will launch a complaint hotline in the wake of a Las Vegas Review-Journal story about sexual harassment in the Henderson Police Department.

Mayor Debra March sent city employees an email Friday announcing the hotline, which will be created by the end of the month and allow city employees to anonymously report any incident involving harassment or discrimination. The city hired Continental Message to monitor the complaints.

March said her goal is to make it available 24/7.

“The purpose of this hotline is to protect employees that feel there’s harassment going on and think they could be retaliated against,” March said. “I want to create an environment in Henderson that is safe and inclusive, and I want to be kept in the loop about these complaints.”

The story, which detailed sexual harassment by the former police chief and a culture of fear that kept employees from reporting issues, was published online Thursday.

March directed city management to increase outreach and training efforts for all city employees regarding Henderson’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.

She added that employees who feel uncomfortable reporting such incidents to their supervisors can meet with her to discuss their concerns.

Human resources director Jennifer Fennema emailed city employees Thursday citing the article and reiterating the city’s zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

“Maintaining the confidentiality of those involved in any investigation into a harassment complaint is a top priority for HR,” Fennema wrote.

“If any employee feels that they are being retaliated against for making a harassment claim or participating in an employee investigation, they should immediately contact HR,” she added.

Fennema said the Human Resources team plans to meet with each department for employees to understand how the complaint and investigation process works.

Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.

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