City Will Not Bring Charges Against Lake Forest Cop

 will not pursue formal charges against Lake Forest police Officer Jeff Sulkin over an alleged inappropriate conversation toward a  intern three years ago following the results of an independent review revealed in closed session to City Council members prior to Monday night's council meeting.

However, Lake Forest Mayor James Cowhey did indicate that the city deemed Sulkin's behavior did "fail to meet (the city's) core values and will be addressing the matter under its personnel policies."

Attorney Leigh Jeter, with the Rosemont law firm Clark Baird Smith LLP, which specializes in labor and employment law,  to investigate Sulkin, the student resource officer at . The action followed the release of a Gurnee Police Department report involving an alleged inappropriate conversation held between Sulkin and a  intern in 2008.

In her report to the City Council, Jeter said Sulkin made certain comments to the intern that violate the city's and 's policies, including those against workplace harassment.

Jeter recommended that Sulkin "be counseled, warned and disciplined for his misconduct ..."

She added the passage of time since the event took place coupled with no formal complaint against Sulkin left her to recommend no discipline "rising to the level of suspension or termination of employment."

Police Report Reveals Questionable Conduct

On Nov. 16, 2011, the received a full copy of the Gurnee Police Department's report regarding a 2009 complaint filed against  over telephone harassment.

The report revealed questionable conduct by Sulkin,  that further investigation was warranted, though no wrongdoing was determined after an earlier investigation of Steinert by the Lake County state's attorney.

No charges were filed, nor did the intern report anything about the incident to the . Sulkin was reassigned to other duties shortly after the report was obtained Nov. 16, and  suspended the student resource officer program at .

In her report, Jeter said she reviewed and analyzed multiple documents, including the city's and the 's personnel policies, various individuals' personnel records, documents regarding the Police Department's internship program, various emails and text messages, and that 2009 police report.

Jeter said she also interviewed multiple witnesses, including the  intern, Lake Forest Police Chief Joe Buerger and  Superintendent Harry Griffith.

"I want to reiterate our commitment to working with any and all outside agencies on questionable conduct or inappropriate behavior by individuals working for on interacting with our citizens," Cowhey said in a prepared press release.

City Will Update Anti-Harassment Training

Cowhey said the city would take action in four areas:

• Provide updated anti-harassment training to all members of the , as well as employees citywide. Citywide training last was conducted in 2006 and supervisory training was done in 2008 and 2011.

• Supervisory employees will be reminded that, consistent with the city’s anti-harassment policy, all supervisors are required to report any complaints or suspected violations of the policy to the human resources director or the city manager.

• The student resource officer program will be revisited with new  later this summer.

• The city will follow up with  officials to apprise them of the steps being taken and to discuss any safeguards that can be put in place with respect to the internship program.

"The city of Lake Forest and the take any suggestion of employee misconduct very seriously," said City Manager Bob Kiely in a prepared release. "The city has established extremely high standards for its employees that place heavy emphasis on the core values of integrity, respect, trust and excellence. Deviance from these values is not taken lightly.”

Jeter's report comes just about a week after an independent investigation into the actions by Griffith and three board members was given by Ron Safer, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who was hired by the district in December 2011.

Griffith and the board members were found to not have concealed information nor shown intentional ignorance of the facts surrounding the handling of , according to Safer's report on Feb. 28.

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