A former employee of the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office is accusing prosecutor Nick Hermann of sexual harassment and assault.
In a written statement to the media, Samantha Merideth says Hermann harassed and assaulted her in a Chicago hotel room. The alleged incident took place during a business conference in August 2013.
According to Merideth, he handcuffed her twice and prevented her from leaving the room. She says he sat a gun on the desk during the incident.
She says the harassment continued after the conference. She also accuses Hermann and other unnamed office staff of bullying and defamation.
Merideth says she was forced to resign at the beginning of this year.
Brandon Danks, one of her lawyers, says she filed a discrimination complaint with the Human Relations Commission Tuesday. He says it was forwarded to the Indianapolis office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Filing a charge with the EEOC is the first step toward suing an employer for discrimination.
Danks says they’re considering other legal avenues.
In a statement, Hermann says he and Merideth were at the conference together but denied “making any advances toward her.” He says she told him the morning after the alleged incident that he made her uncomfortable. He says he apologized and told her he didn’t mean to.
He confirms she resigned this year but says it was after her direct supervisor decided to end her employment for cause.
In her statement, Merideth calls for Hermann’s resignation. She says she knows of at least five other victims and urged them to come forward.
Danks declined to say whether his office has spoken to them.
In a statement, the Evansville Police Department says it's aware of the allegations.
"The allegations listed in publicized reports happened in Chicago, Illinois in 2013," the statement reads. "The allegations were not filed with a law enforcement agency, but rather two separate civil commissions that investigate workplace harassment complaints."
The department also identified the two officers Merideth says were at the conference with her and Hermann. Their names are Crystal Thomas and Quentin Wilkerson.
In her statement, Merideth says she talked to the two officers about inappropriate comments Hermann was making at a restaurant about other women.
"At one point, one officer stated that this made him sick to his stomach and he couldn't believe Hermann was acting this way," Merideth says in her statement.
The EPD says the officers won't comment because of the ongoing investigation.
This is an ongoing story. The article was last updated at 4:03 p.m. Updates will continue as more information becomes available.