The Associated Press
SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) - A Silver City police lieutenant who says she was harassed after reporting violations of department policies to her supervisors has filed a lawsuit against the town.
Lt. De Richardson filed the lawsuit Monday in district court. It names the town, town manager Alex Brown and Mayor Terry Fortenberry as defendants.
Richardson - an administrative staff member who has worked 17 years at the Silver City Police Department - said she was retaliated against after telling her supervisors about a number of “serious violations” of written policies and procedures, court records show.
The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and civil rights violations. It seeks an undisclosed amount of monetary damages.
Brown and Fortenberry said they were unable to comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.
Richardson said the harassment started after she reported two violations: an inappropriate intimate relationship between a department superior and another employee; and a death threat made by an officer, which was carried over the scanner. The lawsuit also said some alleged violations involved public safety.
As a result, she said she was subjected to a hostile work environment, undermined as an administrator and shouted at by her supervisor.
Richardson said she was intentionally moved from the day shift to evening shift after speaking out about the violations, court documents said. Previously, no other lieutenant had been moved to the evening shift, she said.
Richardson took her complaints to Brown at least three times to try to resolve the issues, but only two of her eleven requests were implemented, the lawsuit stated.