A series of disturbing incidents of harassment targeting LGBT police officers in Arizona and other states has led to some calls for reform in the law enforcement community. Despite years of internal complaints, these incidents continue to pile up. Now, a series of lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination are flooding law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Each lawsuit is different, but many of them describe the discrimination in great detail. Some common complaints involve cruel taunts, harassment, limits on career advancement, and a hostile work environment. Other lawsuits complain of unfair work standards and being passed over for promotions.
At the time of writing, there have been at least 11 of these lawsuits filed. While the incidents alleged by LGBT officers are hardly new, the influx of lawsuits alleging discrimination in the workplace is. For many, years of internal complaints going nowhere led to the filing of a lawsuit.
In most of these cases, the law enforcement agencies refuse to open their records or comment on ongoing litigation. Because of this, it is not always clear what happened in the alleged incidents. However, across all of these suits is a common theme: a law enforcement agency that is indifferent to or even supportive of targeted harassment of LGBT officers.
Attorneys with experience in workplace discrimination lawsuit have been emboldened in recent years to seek justice for their LGBT clients. Any law enforcement officer that has been discriminated against due to their sexual orientation may have a claim against their employer. An attorney with experience in employment law may be able to help that law enforcement officer by filing a lawsuit or negotiation with the law enforcement agency regarding a settlement.
USA Today, LGBT police officers say they’ve faced horrible discrimination, and now they’re suing, Kristin Lam, 02/10/2019