Ex-Minnesota Cop Agrees to $665K Over Privacy Claims

October 19, 2012

A former police officer who accused other officers of illegally accessing her driver’s license information has reached tentative settlements with St. Paul, Minn., and other cities worth $665,000.

Anne Marie Rasmusson, who worked for Eden Prairie and St. Paul, claimed that more than 140 officers looked at her private data between 2005 and 2012 without a legitimate reason.

The lawsuit cited the demotion of one Eden Prairie officer who encouraged subordinates to look up Rasmusson because she had an attractive new look. Rasmusson, 38, said officers asked her out after she retired from the force, divorced and lost 100 pounds.

Rasmusson says she became suspicious as to why and how some officers knew her address or the car she drove, so she checked with the state agency that tracks database look-ups.

In the $385,000 proposed settlement with St. Paul, the city doesn’t admit wrongdoing. Attorney Jon Iverson represents other cities and says they’ve agreed to settle for $280,000.

State statutes call for at least $2,500 in damages per unlawful look-up on the database.

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