Police captain sues Topeka for hostile work environment and retaliation

A month after her claims were dismissed in an earlier lawsuit, Topeka Police Captain Jennifer Cross filed suit against the City of Topeka.

Cross filed suit on Friday alleging retaliation and hostile work environment.

In the previous lawsuit against the city, Cross, Major Jana Kizzar and Captain Colleen Stuart sued the city for gender discrimination. Cross’s claims, as well as some of the other two women’s claims, were dismissed on August 14.

What does Captain Jennifer Cross, Topeka Police Captain, claim?

Cross’s statement said a subordinate, Lt. Kelly Connell, filed a bullying complaint against her shortly after Cross presented Connell with an improvement plan signed by Cross’s superior, Maj. Russ Klumpp, Deputy Police Chief Jamie Haltom and then-Police Chief Bryan Wheeles.

Cross claimed the investigation into the complaint was poorly and roughly conducted.

“The totality of this investigation, including the selection of witnesses, the length of the investigation, the lack of communication, and the inconsistent treatment of the parties involved, indicates that the investigation was retaliatory and was conducted in a manner designed to ensure a particular outcome of a judgment against me,” the lawsuit states.

Cross claimed that the police and the city used the complaint as an opportunity to retaliate against her for filing a lawsuit against them.

Cross also argued that the city and police department created a hostile work environment for her and other female police officers. She said she often heard male officers talk about which female officers they would have sex with, how they classified them, which ones they thought were lesbians and which ones were “easy.”

She said she has heard countless sexist comments in her 20-year career with the Topeka Police Department, including the following:

• “People are watching you more because you’re a woman. So don’t let it show.”

• “You have a resting bitch face.”

• “You don’t look like a cop. You look like a librarian.”

• “Women in this field are either whores or lesbians, so you have to make an effort to avoid those titles.”

• “For a girl in this profession, you are doing a great job.”

What damages is Cross seeking from the city of Topeka?

The first claim relates to a hostile work environment. The damages include reimbursement of all costs, expenses, expert witness fees and attorneys’ fees incurred in this matter, as well as other reasonable and equitable relief and damages related to the emotional pain and suffering the City allegedly caused.

The second claim concerns the deprivation of rights and the damages contained therein, punitive damages, that is, costs owed by the defendant which are punitive in nature.

The third type of retaliation is to recover compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages are defined as actual damages that correspond to the loss suffered by the plaintiff.

This article originally appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Police captain sues Topeka for hostile work environment and retaliation