Former Special Agent awarded $1.2 million in sex harassment and retaliation case


This past week, a federal jury in South Dakota awarded $1.2 million in damages to a former Special Agent with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

The jury’s verdict found that DCI had retaliated against and sexually harassed former Special Agent Laura Kaiser.

The case

Kaiser filed her complaint in federal court in 2015 against DCI and others.  The information below is taken from Kaiser’s amended complaint.

Kaiser began working for DCI’s Drug Task Force in 2003 and in 2011, a Brown County Deputy joined the Drug Task Force as well.  Kaiser states that this Deputy sexually harassed her by subjecting her to, among other things, unwanted touching and lewd/offensive sexual comments.

Eventually Kaiser told some colleagues about the harassment, information that then made its way around the “entire office.”

DCI investigated Kaiser’s complaint and she claims that a DCI supervisor told Kaiser that it seemed like she had fabricated the allegations. When Kaiser pointed out that the harasser had admitted to the conduct, the DCI supervisor still said her allegations seemed “orchestrated.”

Less than two weeks after Kaiser’s harassment concerns were reported, DCI put her on a performance improvement plan (PIP).  They did so despite having given her positive performance reviews months earlier.

Because of the treatment she received from her coworkers, Kaiser says she had to take sick leave, began seeing a counselor, and was prescribed medication for anxiety and depression.

In late 2011 and early 2012, DCI demoted Kaiser, reduced her pay, and involuntarily transferred her to Pierre, South Dakota (about 150 miles away).

In Pierre, Kaiser was forced to live in a Law Enforcement Academy Dormitory and was isolated from her husband and son.

In January 2012, Kaiser filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC.  After she filed her EEOC charge, Kaiser says that DCI began to provide negative references to her potential employers.

Finally, in May 2012, Kaiser could not tolerate the mistreatment any longer and says she had no choice but to resign from DCI (also known as constructive discharge).

Kaiser continued to apply for job for which she says she was qualified but did not receive any job offers. And she believes her inability to get hired was due to negative references from DCI.

The jury’s verdict

After a trial, the jury’s verdict found that DCI had retaliated and discriminated against/harassed Kaiser.

As a result, the jury awarded her:


© 2025 Zuckerman Law
National Law Review, Volume VII, Number 355