WASHINGTON -- Two female Metropolitan Police Department officers whose lesbian relationship started while they were detailed to the same squad car say they were harassed and discriminated against by coworkers and supervisors.
Courthouse News Service reports that U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer recently dismissed some of the constitutional and discrimination claims that Tonia Jones and Kenniss Weeks brought against the District of Columbia and has limited the damages the two may seek.
But, over the city's objections, some of the claims are allowed to go forward. (Read Collyer's order here.)
In their complaint -- read it here -- Jones and Weeks say they were subject to a whole range of actionable behavior. Here's CNS's description of what prompted the lawsuit:
Jones and Weeks, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department, claimed they were harassed and "blatantly retaliated against" after telling one of their supervisors that they were in a relationship.
They said sergeants called them derogatory, stereotypical names such as "drama queen," "the butch one" and "the femme one," and "collectively harassed [them] about their work performance, leave and attendance, overtime requests, vehicle assignments, and work assignments."
They claimed male co-workers made overt sexual comments and solicitations.
When they filed complaints with their division's Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance Branch, the police department allegedly retaliated by giving Jones a lower performance evaluation that made her ineligible for a promotion. Weeks was dubbed the "EEO queen" and given discriminatory assignments, according to their federal lawsuit.
The complaint also alleges that "someone put an open tampon on Officer Week’ desk along with parts of the wrapper."
Next up: a scheduling hearing set for the end of August.