The Peoria Police Department, City of Peoria, Illinois, Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard and his designees, continue

retaliation, continue sexual harassment and sexual discrimination, have created a hostile work environment and continue unequal protection regarding the original and subsequent charges filed with IDHR concerning: 1. All the illegal video camera recordings made of me, Officer Donna Nicholson, A Peoria Police Officer; 2. the unauthorized and illegal GPS tracking device located on my take home vehicle; and 3. the proven falsehoods of Officer Jeffrey Wilson, the Peoria Police Officer who continues conduct that is illegal and unauthorized. Charge #2012SF0847/ #2011SF3223: Control #11W0428.18/ #12W0927.10. I am now being transferred out of my Asset Forfeiture position and being sent to uniform patrol, after 21 years of service at the Peoria Police Department.

In addition to the original complaint to the IDHR on 4/28/11, and the retaliations reported 9/27/11 to the IDHR, the following is a continuation of the conduct occurring at the Peoria Police Department:
In January of 2012, Lt. Doug Theobald was assigned to the vice unit. This Lieutenant has a history of disparagement towards women. One of his comments has been "Female officers are only good for female searches." Immediately, the Lieutenant began to make rules that only applied to me, the only female officer in the unit. Not surprisingly, right out the gate, he wrote me up. I had missed a pocket knife on a search. I certainly own this mistake and understand the severity of it. It is not mandatory to be written up when other officers are not written up for the same thing. In the beginning of February 2012, Sgt. Marion, was assigned to be my Sergeant. He is one of officer Wilson's few friends at the department. This sergeant even testified on Wilson's behalf at the "Stalking No Contact" civil proceeding. From January of 2012 to August 2012, I was called into the Lt.'s office, by the Lt. or Sgt. or both, and was told to close the door on a number of occasions. It was one thing after another. Sometimes I would be pulled in weekly and sometimes bi-weekly. I was definitely being treated unfairly. The Lt. would tell me one thing and then the Sgt. would make it wrong when I did it or vice versa. There was no doubt I was being harassed and singled out. This even became evident to co-workers and I could tell it made my co-workers uncomfortable to work around me. I would feel alienated, and some even treated me different when the supervisors were around. I feel I was purposely kept uninformed to make me "look bad". I also found out that the Lt. started to keep secret files on me, which were kept separate from my unit personnel file. Lt. Theobald looked for anything and everything to make me "wrong", and I felt he was trying to ruin my good working relationships I had built with my co-workers for over 21 years. Thus making my job as uncomfortable as possible by creating a hostile work environment. I was shunned, left out and even a few officers were allowed to gossip about me, even to the point of making up things and trying to get people on a band wagon. This only poisoned the well and cast doubt on my character. In April, May and June of 2012 Jeff Wilson caused me to go through a formal internal investigation that was later found to be "not sustained." The department again refused my request to hold him accountable for violating the no stalking order by using a 3rd party to harass me with

a ridiculous accusation. I was even denied my request for Lt. Eddlemon to be present in my internal interview and was told Lt. Theobald was going to be there regardless of what I wanted. On July 23, 2012 I received my 6 month evaluation from Sgt. Marion and Lt. Theobald. This was the worst evaluation I have ever received in 21 years. Actually I think it was the worst work report I had ever seen anybody get. It was completely upside down from the excellent one Sgt. Eddlemon and Lt. Burke had given me 6 months prior. These previous supervisors had a very good handle and understanding on the many details to my position. My work ethic had not changed. I still did my job with a commitment to excellence even knowing my current Sgt. and Lt. were purposely trying to make me miserable. I was even illegally criticized in my evaluation for using accrued sick time when I had an un-diagnosed medical condition. Other things in the evaluation were not factual. A critical part of the Asset Forfeiture position is continuing education which is necessary to perform at my best. Chief Settingsgaard and Capt. Scally denied several important asset forfeiture training classes for me from 2010 to 2012. Even though there are hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Asset Forfeiture accounts that I maintain, I was still denied. Other officers including the Chief, were being sent to their annual conferences. The Chief even spent $19,000.00, during this time frame, once at his annual Chief's conference with monies from the asset forfeiture account. On July 12, 2012 the Chief implemented a general order that read my position, amongst others, would now be subject to a rotation policy. Officers felt intimidated into silence or they would lose there positions. Any officer, Sergeant or Lieutenant, with good intentions, who questioned the Chief's motives was retaliated against. Any officer who was on board with the Chief's viewpoints and basically agreed with him was "taken care of". There should always be respect for a boss, however, a boss that is paid by taxpayers, takes an oath to uphold the laws and is sworn to protect others, should do just that. For some reason, this Chief continually minimized, even to an extreme, the events of 2007 to present with the Wilson investigation with regards to all the illegal video camera recordings of me, the proven falsehoods of Wilson and the GPS tracking device located on my vehicle. Which to date, no discipline was ever given to Wilson, or anyone else, for the aforementioned offenses in bold print. No one was ever held accountable for what happened. Nor has the department enforced the "Stalking No Contact" order against Wilson issued by the 10th Judicial Circuit Court that is supposed to protect me and my children from his harassment. This is now to the point of ridiculous. I am an investigator too. I am playing by the rules. This department's refusal to deal with the facts of the Wilson incident starting in 2007 and 2008 is what led to the 2010 discovery of Wilson doing the same thing and more. The Chief not doing anything to protect me for another 6 months is what led to the "Stalking No Contact" order that I had to get. The city paid 3 attorneys to defend Wilson? (The tax payers paid over $100,000.00 in attorney's fees who tried to defend a stalking officer - do they know that?) The Chief choosing to ignore important facts and ignoring proven lies and then punishing me using his rank is how we all got here.

Sometime around July of 2012 several vice officers and Lt. Theobald were involved in an off duty incident case # 12-18020. On 7/10/12, the Chief and Captain Scally came to address the vice unit. The Chief said the Illinois State Police would be investigating the incident due to the severity. Then the Chief said that our department only handles in-house investigations when the allegations made against an officer are minor, petty or frivolous in nature. Lt. Theobald was transferred out of our unit shortly after that and then put on administrative leave from the department. Eventually in November of 2012 Theobald kept his job and was demoted back to sergeant rank and put in patrol. On 9/21/12 I was given a letter from the Peoria Police Department Administration which read that on 1/6/13 I will no longer hold my current position. I am the only Asset Forfeiture Investigator at the department. I was told I could re-interview for my current position by Captain Scally. In September of 2012 the chief decided to "restructure" the department. Ironically, the vice unit is the only unit to be "restructured". The unit would have a new name of "Target Offender Unit" and 13 more positions would be added to the unit, making it a mega unit now and meanwhile the Street Crimes unit (which fell under vice anyway) will be dissolved but basically added to "vice" under the new "Target Offender Unit" name. The chief claims the "restructure" is to model the"Don't Shoot" book - however in the model, police departments have a vice unit and a "Target Offender Unit". The old "vice unit" or new "Target Offender Unit" is still going to be called SID which stands for Special Investigations Division. (Which we have been operating under for a long time.) So basically at the end of the day, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck . . . it really doesn't matter if its name is Donald or Daffy, it is still just a duck. My point is: the Division is still the same. On 9/27/12 there was a departmental information bulletin for my Asset Forfeiture position opening. On 10/2/12 I sent the administration a memo that I wanted to interview for my Asset Forfeiture position. On 10/18/12 I had the interview for my position. During the interview I read a 9 page overview of my many specialized investigations and qualifications and noted that I am considered an expert in my field. During my tenure, I was responsible for over $ 11,000,000.00 worth of assets from Asset Forfeiture monies and Impound fees. I created the impound program in 2004 from the ground up for the department and still oversee every aspect of the program. The program has won State Awards in 2007 with the Illinois Municipal League and was recognized nationally through the National League of Cities, Congress of Cities Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana. The impound program has brought in over $4,000,000.00, in cash by itself, to the City of Peoria. I am very well versed on what I do for the department regarding asset forfeiture and impounds and have countless business contacts throughout the community. I am sought out throughout the industry as an advisor and have consulted countless other cities on creating similar programs. I am the most qualified officer at the department for this position. I am a decorated veteran officer who stands up for the right thing. My interview for my position went excellent, or so I thought...

On 10/30/12 there was a personnel order that I am to be transferred to patrol on 1/6/13. When I went to Captain Scally for a reason, he told me to ask Captain Snow. I then e-mailed Captain Snow and she told me ask Captain Scally . . . . Several days later Captain Scally stopped by my desk and said , "You have been in this position for years." and "I really don't have to give you a reason, you just didn't get the position." On 11/2/12 another personnel order came out and ironically, all the male "vice" officers, including the Liquor Investigator, both Sergeants and the Lieutenant got their spots in the "new unit". Ironically, I was the only one transferred out from the "vice" unit. And even more ironic, Troy Skaggs, the President of the Peoria Police Benevolent Union was chosen to replace me. This officer testified for Wilson's attorneys in the "Stalking No Contact" hearing. Several officers were told, after the fact, that if we had been in our positions for 10 years then we were being replaced. (Ironically this affected no one with close ties to the chief.) Now, they implemented this "excuse" after we were done interviewing. Had I known I was automatically "disqualified" for my current position, I wouldn't have interviewed for my spot but I would have chosen to interview for another investigative spot because seeking the truth is my passion. So now with losing my Asset Forfeiture position, I am losing a day-shift slot with weekends off, working Monday - Friday, 9-5, a take home vehicle, gas, ability to wear plain clothes and overtime opportunities. With my training, experience, work ethic and the fact that I still care, I am being sent to patrol with 21 years on the job. Officers were also told the benevolent union wasn't going to file a group grievance or if we did, nothing would happen with it. So I filed a grievance with the benevolent union on my own. I have little hope that they will actually help me as they have shown their lack of concern in the past and the fact that the President of the Union was chosen to replace me. There is no doubt in my mind that I was moved out of my position out of complete spite and vindictiveness because I stood up for myself since November of 2010. I had to take matters into my own hands for protection because the department refused to deal with the issue. Now I am continually being retaliated against by some upper command personnel and I am convinced the chief is behind it spearheading it all or it is being done to "score points" with the chief for their future advancement or selfpreservation. Regardless, what is happening is very wrong. Take note that on 10/24/12 Officer Jeff Wilson again blatantly violated the no contact stalking order by seeing my daughter inside a sandwich shop that she works at. He saw her as soon as he came in the door. They both recognized each other. He chose to stay there and then placed an order instead of leave. He was in full uniform with his gun and she was 1 of 2 female workers inside. They had no other customers at the time. My daughter went to the back room because she was intimidated and she contacted me immediately. I told my supervisor. I was later told a police report was made out by Sgt. Marion, Wilson's friend, but, again, nothing happened to Wilson. On 11/8/12 I filed suit against the City of Peoria and Jeff Wilson, individually. November 16, 2012, What do you know... I was written up again. This time was for an incident in August 2012, where I did nothing wrong but the department was determined to try and convince themselves that I did and "make me wrong". In this write up, they even

included their own fabricated details. Ironically, the letter was back-dated to October 10, 2012 but served on me November 16, 2012, after they got wind that I filed a suit against them in November. I have been on this job for over 21 years, and up to this point and I have never seen a case so blatant as mine. November of 2012 a Peoria city attorney contacted the law firm that successfully handled my "Stalking No Contact" civil proceeding and asked them to ask me if I would drop the court order against Wilson since we both were going to be in patrol now. The city attorney has been given false information from the police department regarding my situation. An important part of my job is to safe guard the Asset Forfeiture monies and make sure they are being spent permissibly according to the Federal guidelines and State Laws. I have concerns that Chief Settingsgaard is angered when I give him honest answers to the legal "permissible use" spending of the monies. I have been told he does not like me controlling the money. I have found that he doesn't like being questioned, challenged or criticized by anyone even when the intentions are good. I have especially noticed his distaste for females in authority roles. If a female is assertive, then he tries to make them move or quit. If a females is submissive, he leaves them alone if they do not ever challenge him, even when he is dead wrong. I know specific times when the chief would get upset with me when he realized I wasn't a push over. I have concerns. I have seen him retaliate on good male and female officers. The chief does not like to "look" bad. He wants a specific "image" to the public and the management at City Hall. However, I am concerned for the best interest of the department, the City of Peoria and the citizens we serve. I'm not sure what you call this case at this point, it could be borderline corruption, or a cover up, or blackmail, or all of the above, but make no mistake about it, it is definitely something for sure and a full blown retaliation against me. The in-house investigation clearly gave the chief control over the direction of the investigation and keeping facts under the lid that he did not want to become public. The chief keeping Wilson in uniform and on the street in a squad car sent a message to the troops that he (Wilson) must not have done anything too terribly bad. Both the Internal Investigator and the Computer Forensic Specialist Officer testified in court that Officer Jeff Wilson videoed me a number of times and put a GPS on my vehicle. At this time, I feel the Chief, and his designees and other city staff, knowingly or unknowingly, have repeatedly continued to minimize the events from 2007 to present. I feel they are now on an all out witch hunt to get rid of me anyway that they can. I feel the chief is out of control trying to make me look "wrong" or "bad" or like a "big complainer" and he is looking for any reason to tarnish my integrity. People are being left in the dark as to what is really going on. To my knowledge, this department has NEVER paid the attorney's fees for an officer, as a civil defendant in any OOP (Order of Protection) case. A "Stalking No Contact" case is just that, the only difference is the fact that there was NEVER a domestic relationship. This was the only way I had to get protection for myself and my children. The city chose to use tax payer money to pay approx. $100,000.00 in attorney's fees to try and defend Wilson - who continually video taped me even after he was told to quit in 2008 by me and our supervisors. This was even validated in court testimony by several supervisors during the "Stalking No Contact" hearing. Officer Wilson denied many things in his testimony including entire incidents that others

recalled. My husband remembers the chief was aware of the 2008 secret "videoing incident" of me by Wilson because the Chief and his wife came to my home to visit with my husband and I and some other friends right after the incident took place in 2008. There was discussion because it was so bizarre. I was shaken up over the whole deal. I had reported it to the Sgt. and Lt. and even confronted Wilson myself, not to ever do it again. I figured it was handled and would never happen again. I couldn't have been more wrong. . . . Wilson kept recording me and did it repeatedly with different cameras, up until the time he was caught again in November 2010 by Sgt. Eddlemon. Even with all the video evidence, Chief Settingsgaard has never held Wilson accountable. Even with all the GPS evidence, Chief Settingsgaard has never held Wilson accountable. Even with all the lies Wilson told in depositions and testimony on the stand in court for the "Stalking No Contact" order, Chief Settingsgaard has never held Wilson accountable. He continually minimizes not only what Wilson has done but what Wilson continues to do. During the "Stalking No Contact" hearing, the city's hired guns had me on the stand and we talked about just about everything but the facts of the case. The hired guns somehow believed "trying" to find something "wrong" with me was their best defense. They even went to unethical extremes and focused on harassing me and my family personally by invading our private life, as if I hadn't already been through enough with all the videoing and GPS. The hired guns subpoenaed every account we had, from our private savings accounts to our private business accounts. The city attorney just sat there and watched. While I was on the stand, my marriage was attacked. From November of 2010 to July of 2011 our marriage took hit after hit and eventually crumbled in July 2011. I had to file for a divorce a 2nd time during the worst part of the stalking hearing. Although the lack of concern at the department and the hired guns for the city were not the entire cause for the failing marriage, they certainly contributed and didn't help matters any. I was on the stand trying to defend myself, my husband, my honor and integrity as they exploited my private life to the world. They kept claiming this was for money. It was never about money. It was about protection. That is all I wanted. Getting my attorney's fees paid off and paid back would be nice - since I had to get a lawyer because the city hired 3 attorneys for Wilson. The defense attorneys caused my attorney bill to be well over $50,000.00 (because of their fishing expedition). The average person never would have had to go through what I have had to endure. My husband and I did end up splitting up permanently after 14 years of marriage. A business bankruptcy was soon to follow. I had to sell my assets. Our stores were taken back by the franchise, my home is in foreclosure as I type this and my children's lives have been turned upside down. I have been put under incredible and unbelievable amounts of stress at home and at work and regardless of what any one says or believes, this still isn't about money... It is about my safety, saving the department's integrity and holding people accountable. It is about doing the right thing and standing up for what I believe in. So after going through all that and the city not finding anything "wrong with me"...This year entailed head hunting me and trying to "make something wrong" with me. It is my belief that the chief will continue to give unwritten directive to supervisors to continue to single me out and look for any minor infraction they can drudge up to blow out of proportion. Chief Settingsqaard is unjustly using his position to retaliate on good police officers who are no longer allowing him to be unaccountable. He is blatantly abusing his power by giving perks to the people he needs to be aligned with and using intimidation to keep other people silent. Chief Settingsgaard has chosen

to turn his head and look the other way. He even criticizes me for making a big deal out of it and for letting this affect me. He said even if Wilson did these things to me, it is just "bad judgment" on Wilson's part. The chief and city staff also wasted an insane amount of tax payer money. Chief Settingsgaard appears to come across as a well-spoken, caring or genuine individual and I, too, was fooled by this illusion. After going through 2 years of hardships, I now know he is cunning, manipulating, vindictive and it is CLEARLY EVIDENT he does not want the truth to come out of what is really going on. This has not been an easy decision for me. I realize these are serious accusations, however, the evidence speaks for itself. The truth needs to come to light. If I have to be the whistle blower, then so be it. On top of everything else, there's the inhouse investigation vs. the Illinois State Police handling the investigation. There's the part where in November of 2010 where Wilson went into the vice unit twice right after he was kicked out and after he was ordered to stay out, and not only was he unauthorized, but ironically Troy Skaggs, the President of the Union AND the one who just got my Asset Forfeiture position, was with him. The excuse was that Wilson had to get his label maker. There must have been a label making emergency. I must really not be getting this because somehow I am the one being punished by Chief Settingsgaard. For all the above reason's, I have no choice but to file this. I feel the city constantly continues to abuse it's resources to try and exhaust me physically, emotionally, and financially. I only wanted fair treatment, honest answers and to be left alone to do my job that I used to love. I'm not the only officer filing lawsuits against this chief. I have requested, through two Captains, that a full audit of all the monies and assets that I have handled so there is never any question that every single red cent is exactly where it should be. I am requesting the IDHR investigate the conduct of my employer.