HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)— A former Huntsville police dispatcher is suing the city, along with Police Chief Kirk Giles and Deputy Chief Michael Johnson, saying that the city discriminated against her based on her gender and race.
In a complaint filed on Monday with the federal court, attorneys for former Huntsville Police Dispatcher Katrina Brady said the City of Huntsville, along with the chief and deputy chief, engaged in discrimination against Brady that ultimately led to her firing.
The complaint said that the discrimination began when Brady was pregnant in 2023, with claims that supervisors refused to make accommodations so that she could go to her doctor’s appointments and changed her work schedule to make it harder for Brady to go to those appointments.
Brady’s attorneys said that after she returned to work, a dispute over Brady being provided a place to pump breast milk led to her making a complaint against a supervisor. The complaint said this complaint led to retaliation from both her supervisor and the HPD command staff in general.
According to the complaint, this retaliation included disciplinary actions against Brady, which attorneys said do not reflect her behavior and instead stereotype her.
Attorneys also allege that Brady made several complaints herself, saying she was being retaliated against and the city failed to investigate those complaints.
The complaint said the discrimination spanned from 2023 to 2024 and also constituted a conspiracy by police command staff.
The complaint said its statement of fact shows that discrimination.
“Plaintiff’s former employer, Defendant Huntsville, by and through HPD, HR, and Plaintiff’s supervisors and other decision makers, discriminated against Plaintiff in her employment terms and conditions based on her sex/gender both during Plaintiff’s pregnancy in 2023 and in 2024, during the time she was a nursing mother,” The complaint said.
You can read the full complaint here:
Brady’s attorneys are asking the court for compensatory and punitive damages, and for the city to revisit and update its policies regarding workplace discrimination and other relevant areas.
News 19 has reached out to the City of Huntsville and the police department to see if they can confirm they are aware of the lawsuit and see if they have any comment. We have not yet heard back.
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