In October 2000, Michael Evans, an ex-Pennsylvania State Police trooper pled guilty to sexual offenses against three teenage girls and three adult women. He is currently serving a 5-10 year sentence in state prison for the crimes. Five of his victims have recently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages from the Pennsylvania State Police for their negligence in hiring Evans when he had a documented history of sexual harassment, and for failing to adequately respond to or investigate repeated allegations of sexual harassment of citizens while Evans was working for the State Police. His victims allege that these multiple warning signs were clear indication that Evans was a danger to women, and that the State Police could have prevented Evans’ sexual assault crimes, including the 1999 sexual assault of a 15-year old girl which ultimately led to his arrest. That case, and the publicity surrounding it, resulted in 17 additional women coming forward to say that they too had been harassed or assaulted by Evans. The five women bringing the lawsuit are seeking damages from the State for failure to protect the community and for deliberate negligence in the State’s failure to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations brought against Evans.
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