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Sexual harassment and discrimination spark LGBT police lawsuit

On Behalf of | Feb 14, 2019 | Sexual Harassment

All California workers have the right to do their jobs free of sexual harassment, discrimination and mistreatment based on race, gender, sexual orientation and more. When they are subjected to this behavior, they have the right to seek compensation in a legal filing. While many of these incidents are perceived to happen in private industries, it can occur in other circumstances as well. One surprising job where it happens is in law enforcement. Just like anyone else, these workers have the right to file a lawsuit and seek justice.

Many LGBT officers who were confronted with discrimination have filed a lawsuit because they were discriminated against due to their sexual orientation. One Californian claims he was threatened, mocked and dealt with discriminatory comments. He says that his complaints were ignored and nothing was done. This man is one of many who say they have dealt with this discrimination in law enforcement jobs across the U.S. Some say they were abused and taunted. There were hostile work environments and their chances to advance were hindered. Since 2016, at least 11 such filings were made across the nation. While the mistreatment is believed to have gone on for years, only recently have these officers been emboldened to file cases.

The California plaintiff asserts that the harassment and discrimination continued for two decades. He was initially treated this way when he was in the police academy. It continued in three departments in Northern California until four years ago when his doctor told him to take leave for medical stress because of the discrimination. He received a diagnosis of PTSD, anxiety and depression. He is waiting for the California Highway Patrol to respond to his brief from 2018. It is an appeal after his initial case was dismissed two years earlier because he did not file soon enough. He is continuing to pursue the case.

As these cases show, people being treated differently and having their career prospects harmed because of sexual orientation and other factors is still happening even with the greater attention paid to workplace issues and sexual harassment. It even happens in situations where people are working for the city, state or federal government and it is problematic professionally and personally. Having legal advice regardless of the situation is imperative for LBGT people whose jobs are damaged by this treatment. A law firm that specializes in sexual harassment, discrimination and other employment-related claims can help.