Log In


Reset Password
News

In Lawsuit, Former Sergeant Alleges Discrimination At Police Department

Print

Tweet

Text Size


In a lawsuit filed in federal court, a former Newtown police sergeant is seeking money damages, charging that she was the victim of a pervasive pattern of sexual harassment by members of the Newtown Police Department.

The legal action filed on behalf of Darlene Froehlich, 56, charges that she suffered deprivation of equal treatment under the law, discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation for her comments to police officials about mistreatment.

The lawsuit contends that Ms Froehlich was subjected to a hostile work environment in violation of applicable state and federal law. As a consequence of her situation, she adversely suffered stress, loss of sleep, and hypertension, the legal papers state.

Ms Froehlich further contends that police officials effectively “terminated her employment by way of forced retirement.”

Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia Halstead received the lawsuit on July 9. The legal papers are dated June 22 and were received by US District Court on July 7. Attorney Norman Pattis of New Haven represents Ms Froehlich. Ms Froehlich is seeking a jury trial.

Town Attorney David Grogins had no comment on the lawsuit.

Police Commission Chairman Paul Mangiafico had no comment

Neither Police Chief Michael Kehoe nor First Selectman Pat Llodra were immediately available for comment.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the town, the Newtown Police Department, Chief Kehoe, Captain Joe Rios, Lieutenant Richard Robinson, Lieutenant Christopher Vanghele, and former lieutenant George Sinko. Mr Sinko left the police department in May 2014.

Ms Froehlich was the first woman to join the town police department, was the first female detective, and also was the first female supervisor.

Ms Froehlich started work at the Newtown Police Department in July 1984, having been hired as the first woman town police officer since the department was organized in 1971. Ms Froehlich worked as a town emergency radio dispatcher from 1980 to 1984.

In early 2001, she was assigned to work as a detective, and several months later was promoted to the post of patrol sergeant. She became a detective sergeant in May 2010, heading the detective unit. When she left the police department in January 2014, she was working as a patrol sergeant.

Stormy Departure

In her letter of resignation from the police department, Ms Froehlich cited a “cruel work environment” and “hatred” within the department as factors prompting her decision to retire.

At their January 7, 2014, session, Police Commission members removed from their agenda the consideration of disciplinary action against Ms Froehlich, which had been the subject of three closed disciplinary hearings during the preceding several weeks. Ms Froehlich had requested that those hearings be held in closed session.

Police officials have never disclosed the incidents which resulted in Chief Kehoe having disciplinary hearings held against Ms Froehlich. The Police Commission rules on such police disciplinary matters in which the penalties for an officer range from a nonpaid work suspension exceeding 15 days up to termination of employment.

Ms Froehlich brings the federal lawsuit against the town under the terms of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964, applicable federal law, the US Age Discrimination Employment Act, the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution which concerns equal protection under the law, and applicable state law concerning employment discrimination and retaliation.

In March, the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) relinquished its jurisdiction concerning a similar complaint filed by Ms Froehlich.

In the lawsuit, Ms Froehlich states that she experienced hostility from Chief Kehoe, Capt Rios, and Lieutenants Robinson, Vanghele, and Sinko due to her gender and her age.

Ms Froehlich states that she had more than 29 years of service with the police department and was the highest ranking female in the police department. She charges that from 2010 onward, she was treated differently than comparable male employees in the organization.

While serving as a detective sergeant in 2010, Ms Froehlich contends that she was “routinely undermined by lieutenants who condoned insubordinate behavior from those under [her] command.” She holds that such behavior came “in reaction to having a female in a position of authority.”

Ms Froehlich states that on April 6, 2010, Detective Jason Frank posted a message on his Facebook page stating that town taxpayers should be worried about police decisionmaking because Ms Froehlich would soon be heading the detective unit.

Ms Froehlich states that Det Frank solicited Facebook comments on the matter from former Newtown police officers.

Additionally, Ms Froehlich states that former police officers Henry Stormer and Dominick Salvatore posted some “sexually harassing comments” about her. Those comments make various references to sex toys.

In her lawsuit, Ms Froehlich states she had complained to Chief Kehoe about the matter, but that no discipline was taken.

In the legal papers, she also lodges complaints about the behavior of Lt Vanghele and former lieutenant Sinko.

Hostile Work Environment

In seeking a remedy to the situation, Ms Froehlich filed a “hostile work environment” claim with the town in December 2010, which resulted in a town investigation that began in March 2011.

In complaining about her work situation, Ms Froehlich told town officials that someone had photographically removed her image from a group portrait of police department members posted on the town’s website, which had been taken to commemorate the organization’s 30th anniversary. The situation did not result in discipline to the person responsible for deleting her image, she said.

Also, starting in second half of 2010, her job performance evaluation scores dropped and then remained low until her departure from the police department, according to Ms Froehlich.

Since 2010, Ms Froehlich had been the subject of approximately 14 internal affairs investigations at the police department, according to the lawsuit.

Also, Ms Froehlich states she learned in October 2103 that Chief Kehoe was recommending to the Police Commission that she be fired as a police department member based on the results of two internal affairs investigations which contained “knowingly false reports by lieutenants Robinson and Vanghele.”

Ms Froehlich asserts that Chief Kehoe, in effect, colluded with Lt Robinson and Lt Vanghele and made the recommendation to the Police Commission to terminate Ms Froehlich due to her gender and age.

Summarizing her complaints, the plaintiff holds that, “Beginning in 2010 and up to the date of the plaintiff’s constructive termination (January 2014), she was subjected to disparate treatment in an ongoing pattern of harassment and discrimination due to her gender and age.”

As a consequence of her situation, Ms Froehlich contends that she continues to suffer a loss of employment opportunities in that she cannot secure new employment due to age and poor job performance evaluations written by Lt Vanghele and former lieutenant Sinko.

Remedies Sought

Through the legal action, Ms Froehlich is seeking a variety of remedies. These generally include police pay until age 62, fringe benefits, compensatory damages, the return of personal property, the removal of various reports/disciplinary statements from her personnel file, court costs, attorney’s fees, and other relief.

In her letter of resignation from the police department, Ms Froehlich wrote, in part, “It is with great sadness that I have come to the realization that I must retire from the Newtown Police Department on Monday, January 6, 2014. For financial reasons, my goal was to work well beyond my 30 years. Due to the cruel work environment and hatred expressed to me by Chief Kehoe and staff, I have had to make the decision to leave.”

In response to a request from The Newtown Bee to explain her comments in the letter, Ms Froehlich in January 2014 responded via e-mail, saying, “The police department has made a cruel work environment ... For several years, I became the subject of personal attacks, excessive criticism, and disparate treatment. I was also the target of false information that was never corrected, isolation, and I was removed from the communication loop of the command staff.”

She added, “Immediately following the [December 14, 2012] Sandy Hook tragedy, I worked many hours for many months. I was there for the department when officers were not present and healing from December 14th. I have enjoyed serving the Town of Newtown and its people for nearly three decades, and to have to come to work every day knowing that the administration did not support my efforts was disheartening.”

Ms Froehlich added, “At the end of 2013, as we approached the holidays and the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, I was tossed to the curb like trash. I was left on the outside looking in.

“I know I will certainly miss working at the schools and providing the children, parents and educators with a sense of security. The assignment brought back many fond memories of my two sons when they were young. I will especially miss the sense of humor of the security staff and the high fives and hugs from the children,” she said.

Comments
Comments are open. Be civil.
0 comments

Leave a Reply