A former Black female lieutenant won her lawsuit against the police department she worked for after alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. But the jury only awarded her $2.
The civil rights lawsuit was filed in 2018. She was demoted to a lower position — without a uniform — after she spoke up about the racism in the department.
The jury found the department guilty last week but only award her $2 — $1 for discrimination and $1 for retaliation against her.
The woman’s attorney said the woman is content with the verdict which was about “the principle.”
Her original suit sought $25,000, as well as lost wages and an unknown amount in attorney’s fees.
The woman will reportedly ask a judge to have the city pay her legal fees. She is still employed with the police now working in a different department.
No explanation was offered for the jury’s verdict.
More about the lawsuit and outlandish verdict can be found here.
Opinion: This is sickening. If the victim is truly content with the outcome, so be it. But for a jury, which should be fair and impartial, to agree the department was at fault after reviewing the evidence, and then determine her ordeal was only worth $2 says there is a pervasive culture of racism in Ohio. Hopefully her guilty verdict can kickstart a DOJ investigation. These are not the type of individuals who should be policing the community or training officers.
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