Two men are suing the Dearborn Heights Police Department, alleging they were sexually assaulted and sexually harassed by a supervisor, their attorney said. Detroit-based law firm Marko Law said the lawsuit will be filed in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit on behalf of Maxwell Bearden, of Wyandotte, and Hashim Zrien, of Dearborn. The firm said the police department violated the men’s civil rights by discriminating against both, creating a hostile work environment and retaliating against them, according to the complaint. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and legal costs. In their lawsuit, police officers Bearden and Zrien claim they were sexually assaulted and sexually harassed by a sergeant who supervised them. Their complaint names the sergeant, the city of Dearborn Heights and its police department as defendants. According to the suit, Bearden officially joined the department in 2021 when he was 21 and worked the night shift. It alleges the sergeant began harassing him soon after he joined the force through text messages and Snapchat during and after work hours. It also said the sergeant coerced the officer to perform oral sex on Jan. 1, 2022. The lawsuit said it was the first of many occasions the plaintiff was assaulted.
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