POTEET, Texas --
Poteet Police Chief John Overstreet said he was sitting at home early last month when someone sent him a "funny" text message that included photos of bare-breasted women.
The 25-year veteran of military and civilian law enforcement and a former equal opportunity officer in the U.S. Army said he forwarded the text from his personal cellphone to several friends, and "inadvertently, completely by accident" to his only full-time female police officer, Alice Bhirdo.
"Clumsy fingers, her name is right in between two other friends," Overstreet said.
Bhirdo, who has been with the Poteet Police Department two years said she was shocked and disgusted. "I couldn't believe I had those pictures," she said.
Overstreet said he didn't know what had happened until Bhirdo told him.
"I immediately apologized to her. I told her, I'm sorry for those pictures. I did not mean for those to go to you," Overstreet said.
Bhirdo said that is true, but she still showed them to some city officials.
"I didn't file a complaint because what's the point? Nothing gets done," she said.
Still word leaked out in the small town. However, Bhirdo said in a way, she's relieved the incident is now public.
Since 2005, Bhirdo said she has sued two of her former employers, both law enforcement agencies, alleging sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation.
Bhirdo said she lost her lawsuit against the San Antonio Airport Police Department and settled out of court with the Somerset Police Department.
"It just seems like there's a pattern," Overstreet said.
Bhirdo said that is not true. "I never asked for any of this. Unfortunately, it's difficult for women in law enforcement as we work twice as hard for half the respect," Bhirdo said.
How might this latest situation affect her career? Bhirdo said, "Good question, I don't know."
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