LOWELL, Mass. (AP) – A jury has awarded $500,000 to a Pelham, N.H., woman who said Raytheon Co. failed to investigate her sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor because he was the nephew of the company’s former chief executive.

A jury in Lowell found that the Waltham-based defense contractor and the supervisor, Spero Harakas, were both liable for the harassment Judith Williamson suffered while working as a secretary at a Raytheon office in Tewksbury.

Raytheon asked for a new trial, company spokesman James Fetig told the Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence. The facts did not support the jury’s verdict last month, he said, and Raytheon has “a strong policy against sexual harassment.”

Williamson said she was harassed starting in 1999 by Harakas, then the manager of an engineering and logistics group and Williamson’s supervisor.

The two had previously had a romantic relationship, but it did not include sexual intercourse, said her attorney, Kenneth Homsey.

When Williamson told Harakas she couldn’t be involved with him, Harakas became increasingly belligerent and critical of her job performance, Homsey said.

Williamson alleged Raytheon failed to investigate her claims against Harakas because he was the nephew of Thomas L. Phillips, who served as Raytheon’s chairman and chief executive from 1975 to 1991 and retired from the board of directors in 2000.

Williamson, 57, eventually was forced to accept a transfer, in violation of state fair employment laws, Homsey said.

Michael Bernardo, a lawyer for Harakas and Raytheon, declined to comment.