A woman who worked for the University of South Florida’s police force has filed a lawsuit against her former employer. She claims she was fired because of wrongful termination and issues that include disability discrimination, racial discrimination and gender discrimination. She claims the police chief on campus acted inappropriately toward her and others while she worked as a spokesperson for USF’s force. He was the one who eventually fired her.
Her lawsuit claims she was unfairly fired from her job despite having no history of problems or complaints while she worked there. In the civil claim, allegations against the campus police chief include sharing with her information about his personal life and saying demeaning things toward women, including the president of the university. Reportedly, he even left a stuffed animal with a noose around its neck in her office.
Neither the university nor the police chief have responded directly to these claims or the lawsuit. However, USF did state that it believes in treating all personnel fairly and maintaining a workplace that is free from harassment and mistreatment. Her previous attempt at appealing her termination through a hearing with the Florida Commission on Human Relations was not successful.
Wrongful termination is unacceptable, and employees have the right to speak out if they experience this type of treatment in their workplaces. It’s intimidating to take legal action over employment law concerns, but this is not something an employee has to do on his or her own. Working with an experienced legal professional can prove invaluable when walking through the civil claims process.
