Police officer told to "tone down" his "gayness" awarded $19 million in discrimination lawsuit

[Coventina]

Source: CBS News

A St. Louis County police sergeant who said the department passed him over for promotions because he is gay was awarded $19 million in a discrimination lawsuit on Friday. Sgt. Keith Wildhaber, who filed the lawsuit against the St. Louis County Police Department in 2017, said he was told to "tone down your gayness" if he wanted to be promoted to lieutenant, CBS affiliate KMOV-TV reports.

Wildhaber's lawsuit details a 2014 incident during which he spoke to a member of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners about a promotion.

John Saracino, who was on the board at the time, allegedly told Wildhaber that the command staff had a problem with his sexuality. "If you ever want to see a white shirt [i.e. get a promotion], you should tone down your gayness," Saracino said, according to the lawsuit.

The discrimination suit went to trial last week and multiple officers, including Chief John Belmar, took the stand. On Friday, a jury awarded Wildhaber $19 million.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-officer-told-to-tone-down-his-gayness-awarded-19-million-in-discrimination-lawsuit/

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I'm sure no officer was ever told "tone down your straightness."

[LuvNewcastle]

1. Good for him.

Now he can take his millions and tell Mr. Saracino that he needs to tone down his poverty.

[YOHABLO]

2. It's always these ''macho'' MF that are telling gay men to ''tone it down''.

Then they go home and put on their wives bras and panties.

[Eugene]

3. Police board chairman resigns after gay sergeant's $20m discrimination victory

Source: Associated Press

Police board chairman resigns after gay sergeant's $20m discrimination victory

Associated Press
Wed 30 Oct 2019 17.11 GMT

The chairman of a St Louis county police board has resigned and another board member said she is being replaced after a jury found that a sergeant was discriminated against because he is gay and recommended that he be awarded nearly $20m.

The county executive, Sam Page, said on Monday in a letter announcing board chairman Roland Corvington’s resignation that the county had “not always done a good job” of addressing the unique challenges in the workplace for women, people of color and LGBT people.

Board member Laurie Westfall said Page also told her she was being replaced, the St Louis Post Dispatch reported.

The departures come days after a jury ruled in favor of Sgt Keith Wildhaber in his discrimination lawsuit.

He testified that a former St Louis county police board of commissioners member, John Saracino, told him in 2014 that he would need to “tone down his gayness” to secure a promotion to lieutenant. Saracino has denied that he made the comment.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/30/gay-police-discrimination-board-chairman-resigns-keith-wildhaber

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Related: Police board member resigns after sergeant wins $20M verdict (St Louis Post Dispatch)