Four female Seattle police officers are suing the SPD and the city, alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation.
Attorney for officers Valarie Carson, Kame Spencer, Jean Gulpan and Lauren Truscott Sumeer Singla tells KIRO7 the city had 60 days to respond to their initial lawsuit, but that never happened.
“We now have the opportunity to file a lawsuit, do our own investigation and provide our own testimony and then present this case to a jury,” Singla said.
Singla says his clients are seeking to take their claims to a jury trial, which means they could potentially receive more than the $5 million they originally sought. Singla says that, based on what his clients have shared with him, there is substantial evidence of sexism and misogyny within SPD. Two of the names named in that lawsuit: former Police Chief Adrian Diaz and current Lt. John O’Neill.
“There was a pattern of intimidation where these women, who didn’t know each other, would sometimes bump into each other,” Singla said.
Former chief Diaz recently spoke to conservative talk show host Jason Rantz about the allegations against him and what happened following his departure. During the interview, Diaz came out as gay and said the women’s accusations were false. Singla says some of the comments the former chief made bolster his clients’ case.
“The first thing he said was that just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you’re not a misogynist. And that’s a fair point and we took it to heart. The second thing I saw the chief say was that he realized that the investigative process or the Office of Police Accountability process could be weaponized. That’s the allegation that my clients are making, that that exact process was being weaponized against them. The frustrating thing was that he was the police chief for four years. He knew that process was being weaponized. He did nothing about it,” Singla said.
KIRO7 reached out to SPD, the city attorney’s office and the mayor Bruce Harrell. The city attorney’s office says they cannot comment on pending litigation. Mayor Harrell’s office sent KIRO 7 this statement:
“We cannot comment on pending litigation. Mayor Harrell, working with Interim Chief Rahr, remains committed to building a Seattle Police Department that focuses on keeping Seattle residents safe and ensuring that women and people of all backgrounds can be successful and empowered leaders and members of the department.” – Mayor Bruce Harrell
Not only does Singla believe that the SPD should be held accountable for its alleged culture, he also believes that a safer working environment for female officers leads to a safer city.
“If we have female officers within the police department who feel safe, who feel heard, who feel respected, then we have a safer community and that’s the goal,” Singla said.
