Anamosa to consider firing police chief after gender bias settlement

The Anamosa City Council on Monday will consider firing or suspending its police chief after the city and its insurer paid a $750,000 settlement last month to a former female police officer who alleged gender discrimination.

Amy Ford, who worked for the Anamosa Police Department from 2007 to 2017, claimed in her December 2015 lawsuit Police Chief Bob Simonson sent sexist emails to police department staff, discriminated against her in equipment purchases and retaliated against her when she complained about bias.

“The jokes he sent, the pictures and videos were all women-based and all discriminatory,” Ford told The Gazette earlier this month. “It’s not like he was sending pictures of women finding cures for cancer.”

Now, the city council is planning for “discussion and possible action on discrimination settlement,” according to the online agenda for Monday night’s meeting. This agenda item includes three bullet points: “Summary termination of the chief of police,” “Suspension of the chief of police” and “process for review/evaluation of chief of police’s employment.”

Read more: http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/anamosa-to-consider-firing-police-chief-after-gender-bias-settlement-20180223

Earlier thread:
Former Anamosa officer gets $750K settlement for sex discrimination suit
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10516533