Though many people in Washington, D.C. and beyond enjoy the work they do, they may not appreciate the environment in which they work. Superiors or co-workers could make individuals’ jobs much more difficult because they carry out discriminatory actions. Unfortunately, many workers who are simply trying to do their jobs well can be treated unfairly due to discrimination.
It was recently reported that a police officer in another state has filed a lawsuit against the police department, the police chief and a lieutenant claiming discrimination and retaliation. Apparently, one of the officer’s duties was to review the use of force of subordinate officers to determine whether they had violated regulations regarding use of force. The officer claims that after making multiple reports of officers violating these regulations, he was investigated and faced disciplinary action. Details were not given on the type of disciplinary action or the exact reasoning behind the actions.
The officer, who is Black, believes that the discipline occurred in retaliation to his reports regarding the use-of-force violations. He also stated that he has regularly faced racial discrimination on the job and has been generally treated in a more unfavorable manner than non-Black officers. Information regarding other types of unfair and discriminatory actions taken against him were not provided in the report.
Facing unfair and illegal treatment in the workplace does not have to be tolerated. As this case shows, employees in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere could take legal action if they believe that they have endured discrimination or retaliation on the job. Because each case is different, it is important that workers assess the details of their case and gain information on their legal options to determine whether they have reason to move forward with a legal claim.
