Black Female D.C. Police Officers Sue City for Discrimination

Ten current and former Black female D.C. police officers have filed a lawsuit against the District, alleging its police department has engaged in “repeated, coordinated and relentless retaliation” against Black female officers who have complained about discrimination or other police misconduct, reports the Washington Post. The lawsuit accuses D.C. police of cultivating a culture that degrades women and turning on those who have tried to raise alarm about race and gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

Attorneys are seeking a class-action status that would include more than 700 current and former Black female D.C. police officers who served from Jan. 1, 2011, to present day. The plaintiffs in the suit include current and former officers who, with the exception of one officer, have served with D.C. police for more than 15 years. Among them is Chanel Dickerson, a current assistant chief and one of the most senior Black female officers to serve in the department. Complaints focus on the D.C. police department’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) division, which is supposed to investigate and address internal complaints of unfair or discriminatory treatment, but, instead, is accused of recording plaintiff’s interviews and then wielding those tapes against them to undermine their credibility and label them as “troublemakers.” In some cases, the suit says, female officers who made accusations were themselves put under investigation. The suit named the office’s director, Alphonso Lee, as responsible for perpetuating a “hostile and toxic” environment and alleges he prevented claims of race or gender discrimination from being substantiated.