HELENA — The director of Montana’s Department of Corrections is denying allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation made in a lawsuit filed by a former employee.
Adrianne Cotton filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that Director Reginald Michael told her he had a history of “subordinates requesting to engage in sexual activity with him.” Soon after, she said he asked about her interest in the deputy director position, which she took as a suggestion of exchanging sexual favors for career advancement.
Cotton’s lawsuit alleges her job was eliminated for talking about the harassment during a human resources investigation. The lawsuit states the investigation found her complaint to be unsubstantiated. A separate complaint is pending with the Human Rights Bureau.
Agency spokeswoman Carolynn Bright says Michael denies the allegations and a third-party review team recommended the agency restructuring that eliminated Cotton’s job.