Post by pavel on Feb 18, 2016 7:52:57 GMT -6
Los Alamos County has settled a heated, two-year legal battle with three of its former police officers for $2 million and has offered to reinstate the officers, who claim in their whistleblower lawsuit that they faced discrimination, mistreatment and, in one officer’s case, unjust termination, according to statements issued Wednesday.
While the county says its decision earlier this month to settle the case was based solely on the mounting costs of fighting the lawsuit, the officers called it a victory for whistleblowers, one that will inspire others to “act in good faith to protect their communities,” according to a news release issued Wednesday by their attorney, Linda Hemphill.
In January 2014, former Los Alamos Police Department Cmdrs. Randy Foster and Scott Mills, along with Detective Paige Early, filed the suit against the county, claiming they had been “disciplined, fired, and mistreated” in their attempt to protect the public from a colleague, Officer Brian Schamber, who they said was not mentally fit to serve and posed a threat to the community.
Foster, one of four finalists in the city of Santa Fe’s recent police chief search, claims he was wrongfully fired from the Los Alamos department for drawing attention to Schamber’s inability to serve on the force. Mills and Early said they felt compelled to resign due to a “hostile work environment” following the incident. Early also said she faced discrimination based on her gender.
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/los-alamos-county-settles-ex-cops-whistleblower-suit-for-m/article_3be76080-bd85-5d2f-8732-250675f7f271.html
While the county says its decision earlier this month to settle the case was based solely on the mounting costs of fighting the lawsuit, the officers called it a victory for whistleblowers, one that will inspire others to “act in good faith to protect their communities,” according to a news release issued Wednesday by their attorney, Linda Hemphill.
In January 2014, former Los Alamos Police Department Cmdrs. Randy Foster and Scott Mills, along with Detective Paige Early, filed the suit against the county, claiming they had been “disciplined, fired, and mistreated” in their attempt to protect the public from a colleague, Officer Brian Schamber, who they said was not mentally fit to serve and posed a threat to the community.
Foster, one of four finalists in the city of Santa Fe’s recent police chief search, claims he was wrongfully fired from the Los Alamos department for drawing attention to Schamber’s inability to serve on the force. Mills and Early said they felt compelled to resign due to a “hostile work environment” following the incident. Early also said she faced discrimination based on her gender.
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/los-alamos-county-settles-ex-cops-whistleblower-suit-for-m/article_3be76080-bd85-5d2f-8732-250675f7f271.html