Female police officer fed up with discrimination and harassment sued her department — and was awarded $10 million
Trigger Warning: This article consists of themes of sexual harassment that might be distressing to some readers.
Navigating a male-dominated workplace is never the easiest thing, especially for a woman. It becomes more challenging if the person faces discrimination based on their gender and sexual orientation. An openly gay female police officer recounted the harassment she faced in her department because of being a woman and a lesbian as she filed a lawsuit against them. The former officer, Ashley Cummins, revealed that her female colleagues were always expected to be submissive in front of their male counterparts, as reported by NBC San Diego.
The civil lawsuit filed by Cummins talked about the culture at the police department and described, "Many of the male officers and supervisors indicated that if female officers wanted to fit in at NCPD, they either needed to be submissive to the male officers or sleep with them." A council member, Marcus Bush, found the claims disturbing and highlighted a need for accountability. "That's not reflective of our entire department, but there is, it's a concern that we need to look into and address fairly as a city," Bush remarked after a closed-door executive meeting on the issue. Cummins filed the suit after she faced harassment from her colleagues and supervising sergeants between March 2020 and January 2021.
She claimed that a fellow officer put her life in danger by intentionally not searching a homicide suspect for weapons and not informing her about the same either. A San Diego jury held a trial and found the department liable. Cummins was given $10 million in damages. "The city is extremely disappointed with the outcome and is currently reviewing all of the legal options, including a possible appeal. The city remains committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace for all employees," Barry Schultz, National City's city attorney, emphasized. Cummins also revealed that all the female officers were discouraged from reporting harassment and gender discrimination.
Cummins, a trained MMA fighter, was even passed over for a position with the K-9 unit, which was given to a male officer with much less experience than her. She was repeatedly targeted by her male counterparts. According to the suit, two sergeants referred to women as "incompetent" even when they were promoted. Promotions were only given to women in exchange for sexual favors. "Absolutely, I'm open to any kind of training we need to do, any kind of reform. It's too early to say exactly what that looks like," Bush went on.
It has been difficult for Cummins to speak about the harassment and file a lawsuit, which has ruined her career in law enforcement, according to her attorney, Jeffrey Hogue, per Star News. "She has applied to numerous departments and has not gotten a single job or job offer," Hogue revealed. "Our hearts go out to her because this has really ruined her life. It has cost her a lot. She has been in so much pain and struggles for the last five years since 2020 when it started." The jury sided with Cummins on all accounts after a six-week trial.