ST. LOUIS — A police sergeant is suing the city of St. Louis, citing alleged racial discrimination.
Heather Taylor filed a complaint Aug. 18 in the St. Louis Circuit Court against the city of St. Louis, alleging it violated the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA).
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in October 2016, she gave on-the-record comments as president of the Ethical Society of Police Inc. (ESOP) regarding SpotShotter crime-prevention technology used by the police department. She claims she was then accused of violating departmental policy for speaking to the media without authorization. She claims white employees also gave interviews to local medical outlets without authorization but have not been subjected to internal affairs charges or disciplined.
The plaintiff holds the city of St. Louis responsible because the defendant allegedly accused the plaintiff of misconduct without basis, failed to hear out the plaintiff's her explanation and failed to review the allegations despite evidence that she was speaking as a representative of ESOP and not as a representative of the police department.
The plaintiff seeks judgment for lost wages, benefits of employment, prejudgment interest, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, costs of litigation and other relief the court deems proper. She is represented by Brian Love of Federer & Federer PC in St. Charles.
St. Louis Circuit Court case number 1722-CC11050