Lesbian cop wins enormous payout after being bullied out of her job by bigoted co-workers

A lesbian California constabulary serviceman has won a $10 cardinal harassment suit against her erstwhile bull colleagues. 

Ashley Cummins, a former-officer-turned-MMA-fighter, sued the National City Police Department for damages aft she endured harassment and favoritism based connected her gender and intersexual orientation. 

Jurors of the tribunal agreed that Cummins had been singled retired by respective of the officers successful her department, and that elder commanders did small to forestall the abuse, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

The full damages included astir $166,000 successful mislaid wages, $1.4 cardinal successful aboriginal economical losses and $4.2 cardinal each successful past and aboriginal non-economic losses, the outlet reported. 

'We ever believed our lawsuit was wronged and had viable ineligible claims for intersexual harassment and discrimination,' her attorneys said successful a connection to the outlet. 

'Ultimately, we presented those ineligible claims to a assemblage to decide. We are grateful the assemblage recovered for our lawsuit connected each accounts and awarded a conscionable verdict.'

Cummins joined the unit successful August of 2018, aft moving for the St Louis County PD for 8 years, and said the harassment began astir instantaneously. 

'The bullying and harassment were a effect of the civilization astatine NCPD that expected antheral officers to excel supra pistillate officers and expected pistillate officers to beryllium submissive to their antheral counterparts,' the ailment obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune stated. 

'In fact, galore of the antheral officers and supervisors indicated that if pistillate officers wanted to acceptable successful astatine NCPD, they either needed to beryllium submissive to the antheral officers oregon slumber with them.' 

Her attorney, Jeffrey Hogue, told the Star News: 'Our hearts spell retired to her due to the fact that this has truly ruined her life. It has outgo her a lot. She has been successful truthful overmuch symptom and struggles for the past 5 years since 2020 erstwhile it started.' 

Cummins claimed successful the suit that she had reported the behaviour galore times, but nary enactment was ever taken. 

The suit further alleged that Cummins was not the archetypal pistillate serviceman to marque a complaint. 

The suit said: 'At slightest 1 sergeant astatine NCPD has responded to a pistillate officer's favoritism ailment by saying "I've had a pistillate serviceman record a ailment astir maine before, don't beryllium that cop. If you bash that, you'll beryllium conscionable different pistillate bull who plays [the pistillate card] due to the fact that she can't grip National City.' 

The sergeant added that things would lone 'get worse for you if you bash that.' 

In 2019, Cummins was asked 'if she had immoderate dirt' connected different pistillate serviceman who filed a bullying and harassment claim, the ailment said. 

'As such, Ms. Cummins was discouraged and intimidated from making a ceremonial study to Internal Affairs,' the suit added. 

According to Cummins' lawsuit, the favoritism and harassment progressive being yelled astatine implicit the constabulary vigor and ordered to permission transgression scenes. 

Cummins was besides passed implicit for a promotion to a K-9 assignment, and the antheral serviceman who was hired for the occupation was overmuch little experienced than she was. 

Cummins was besides placed connected permission aft a shooting, contempt not being involved, and aft returning to work, 'defendants made definite everyone stayed distant from Ms. Cummins.' 

'Ashley feels vindicated, and is flooded with emotion,' her attorneys told The San Diego Union-Tribune. 'She has applied astatine galore antithetic constabulary departments but hasn't gotten a occupation due to the fact that of the lawsuit.' 

Cummins present is simply a mixed martial arts jock surviving successful Chula Vista, competing arsenic Ashley 'Smashley' Cummins. 

City Attorney Barry Schultz told NBC San Diego that 'the metropolis is highly disappointed with the result and is presently reviewing each of the ineligible options, including a imaginable appeal.' 

'The metropolis remains committed to ensuring a just and inclusive workplace for each employees, and to proceed to uphold the highest standards of professionalism wrong the constabulary department,' Schultz added. 

'Notwithstanding the city's disappointment, the metropolis and the constabulary section volition cautiously measure the verdict and find what lessons tin beryllium learned.'