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State pays $395K to settle prison discrimination lawsuit

State pays $395K to settle prison discrimination lawsuit

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WARREN, Maine (AP) The state is paying $395,000 to a former corrections officer to settle her claims of harassment and discrimination.

Autumn Dinsmore resigned as a corrections officer this month as part of the settlement of her lawsuit filed last year. There was no admission of wrongdoing by the Maine Department of Corrections.

Dinsmore worked at the Maine State Prison and Bolduc Correctional Facility.

In her federal lawsuit, she said the department created a hostile work environment because of her gender and sexual orientation and that she endured sexual harassment.

The lawsuit said Dinsmore was subjected to sexual overtures by male co-workers who asked her to send nude photos and who sent nude photos of themselves via Snapchat. Male co-workers also told her female corrections officers were unfit for prison work because of an assumption they would have relationships with male prisoners.

The Maine Human Rights Commission previously sided with Dinsmore, saying there was evidence to support her claims of discrimination and a hostile work environment.

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