‘I’m a 10 on the root scale’: Cop’s disgusting sexual comments to a female police officer at a station Christmas party
- Kylie Youngblutt attended Coolangatta police station’s Christmas party in 2015
- Constable Nathan Diehm made lewd comments while trying to pick her up
- He said ‘don’t you want my big c**k?’ and ‘I’m a 10 on the root scale’
- Ms Youngblutt claimed she was then harassed at work for complaining about it
- Industrial Relations Commission ruled she should receive compensation
A policewoman who was sexually harassed at a station Christmas party by a fellow officer has won her fight for compensation.
Kylie Gai Youngblutt claimed she suffered a psychological injury from repeated lewd comments made at the party on the Gold Coast on December 10, 2015.
Constable Nathan Diehm told her ‘I’m going to f**k you’, ‘don’t you want my big c**k?’ and ‘I’m a 10 on the root scale’ in an attempt to sleep with the married officer.
He also put his arm around her and tried to kiss her, insisted on dancing with her, and gestured towards her as if he was going to undo his pants.
Kylie Youngblutt was sexually harassed by Constable Nathan Diehm at a Christmas party for officers at Coolangatta police station (pictured)
The Workers’ Compensation Regulator denied her compensation in 2017 but that decision was last month overturned on appeal by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
Ms Youngblutt was a traffic cop at the Coolangatta station for the previous two years and initially didn’t plan to attend the party as it was on her wedding anniversary.
However, she decided to go because she felt pressured to by other officers and ‘felt if she did not attend her job might be in jeopardy’.
The entire station was given the day off to attend the party with officers from a nearby station covering their shifts.
Constable Diehm told other officers he was going to ‘hit on’ Ms Youngblutt at the party and told people at the party he was going to ‘f**k’ her.
The junior officer admitted his conduct to an internal inquiry and was remorseful, but said he had no recollection of events because he was drunk.
Ms Youngblutt claimed that after the party she was ‘managed out’ of the station and felt senior officers supported her abuser instead of her.
Ms Youngblutt claimed the station’s officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Troy Lehmann (left) told her Constable Diehm harassed her because people were questioning his sexuality
She said the station’s officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Troy Lehmann told her it was ‘not Nathan’s fault people were questioning his sexuality and he is very young’.
He allegedly told her he would have preferred to handle the issue ‘in house and that she should ‘get ready mentally as ethical standards go through everything’.
Sergeant Lehmann denied both these allegations, saying he only inquired about her well-being.
Ms Youngblutt also alleged other officers said she was ‘fucked’ for reporting the harassment and she began to feel ‘like dirt’.
She on one occasion alleged a fellow officer said she was ‘having a bad undie day’, to which she replied ‘oh I hate that’, before the other officer looked her in the eye and said ‘oh sorry! We can’t say things like that anymore’.
She called in sick three days in a row to avoid working with Constable Diehm, after which station management put them on different shifts.
Ms Youngblutt claimed Sergeant Lehmann earlier told her ‘just do your job’ when she expressed concerns about working with him.
Constable Diehm on multiple occasions after the party waited for her in the car park before work to ask ‘are we good?’
He was in January 2017 given a serious sanction and moved to a station in northern Brisbane, while Ms Youngblutt was also transferred.
Constable Diehm told her ‘I’m going to f**k you’, ‘don’t you want my big c**k?’ and ‘I’m a 10 on the root scale’ at the party held at Twin Towns Services Club on the Gold Coast
Medical evidence stated that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence as a result of the harassment.
‘[There is] no evidence to suggest… symptoms have arisen from any other trauma other than the reported events leading up to, during and following the workplace Christmas party,’ her doctor said.
Ms Youngblutt was eventually unable to make it through more than three days of work in a row and left the police force.
The Regulator in denying her claim argued her injuries did not warrant compensation because they stemmed from the Christmas party, not the workplace.
But Ms Youngblutt successfully argued in her appeal that the party counted as part of her employment because officers were encouraged to attend.
The event was organised by the station’s social club, of which all but a couple of staff were members paying $7.50 a fortnight, and new officers were encouraged to join on their first days.