Sex Harassment in Sheriff’s Dept.

* Re “Sex Harassment Hard to Root Out in Sheriff’s Dept.,” April 18: I see only one way to shake the Sheriff’s Department leadership and the county supervisors out of their tolerance of hostility toward women officers: Women who are harassed have to stop settling their claims and, instead, insist on going to trial. Make harassment as expensive and as embarrassing for the county as you possibly can, sisters. Take those Neanderthals all the way to court, collect huge awards, use the TV coverage to raise public awareness and use the money to support the fight of other women for respect.

And while you’re at it, don’t just file labor suits, file criminal suits under hate crimes legislation too. They may hate you, but they’ll have to respect you.

LAURENCE HAUBEN

Santa Barbara

* With Sheriff Lee Baca about to embark on an expensive witch hunt to identify and punish male deputies for victimizing female deputies, I wonder whether the taxpayers’ money wouldn’t be better spent giving the female deputies the behavioral and communication tools to stand their ground with the men. If Sheriff Baca wants to put more women on patrol, let’s first make sure they know how to keep their colleagues in line before giving them the responsibility of keeping criminals in line.

So long as we keep teaching females that the way to protect themselves is by tattling on male co-workers, we perpetuate the stereotype of helpless, vindictive women that is at the root of the harassment and guarantee that the genders will remain at odds for a long time.

BARBARA GALLEN

Los Angeles