By Steve Ramirez
Las Cruces Sun-News
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Diana Mejia, who has been police chief for the city of Anthony the past 18 months, has been fired from her job.
Mejia said she was given no explanation for her July 1 termination from the city’s four elected trustees and Mayor Arnulfo Castañeda, despite a work history of favorable job performance ratings. Mejia said she suspects her firing was a result of sexual discrimination, because she is a lesbian. She filed a complaint Monday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“I strongly believe this is why I was terminated,” Mejia said. “I’ve always done a good job. I lived for that job. That’s one thing the mayor (Castañeda) said, that I was doing a good job.”
Citing confidential personnel issues, Castañeda said he couldn’t disclose the details that led to Mejia’s firing. But Castañeda agreed he had no qualms with Mejia’s job performance.
“My recommendation wasn’t asked for,” Castañeda said. “I think the police department was headed in the right direction. Up to this point, I had no major problems with her performance. Like always, and anywhere, there’s going to be room for improvement. But there were no problems with the direction of the department and where it was headed.”
But trustees Betty Gonzalez, Pilar Madrid, Diana Murillo-Trujillo and James Scott disagreed. A closed session to discuss Mejia was requested by Gonzalez, and though numerous Anthony residents spoke at the July 1 meeting in support of Mejia, the board voted 4-0 to dismiss her.
“They had this closed session and didn’t let me attend, much less speak,” Mejia said. “I knocked on the door and asked, ‘Sir, may I come in.’ I was told we’ll let you know. ... I was blind-sided by the whole termination.”
Mejia said her performance evaluation was conducted just hours before she was fired, where she said there were no significant findings.
“I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “There is no cause. I never had a (negative) write-up, I stayed late hours and worked hard. The community saw that.”
Mejia added her sexual orientation was no factor in how she did her job.
“I’ve kept my personal life to myself,” she said.
Gonzalez, Madrid, Murillo-Trujillo and Scott did not return telephone calls from the Sun-News seeking comment.
In addition to the EEOC complaint, Mejia said she is also considering asking the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office to determine whether Anthony trustees violated the state Open Meetings Act.
Mejia has also filed for unemployment benefits and is trying to find a new job.
However, she said she hasn’t decided whether she will file a lawsuit against the city.
Copyright 2015 the Las Cruces Sun-News