A police officer who sued Chula Vista over her right to compete in a beauty pageant was fired after a dispute over an engagement ring, according to a published report.
Former officer Deanna Michelle Mory was fired in October, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Chula Vista police spokesman Bernard Gonzales told the paper Mory "had 'separated' from the department."
Mory 's former fiance, Brian Callahan, who is a soldier in Iraq, alleged that the $17,000 ring he gave Mory was stolen after the couple broke up. Prosecutors declined to file theft charges. Mory was placed on leave by the department in August.
Mory, who was named Ms. California in January 2006, sued the city after police administrators told her to stop competing in pageants. Mory, 24, was currently representing California in the Ms. United States beauty pageant.
The paper reported that Mory has been working as a security guard since she was terminated by the department. Mory plans to appeal her termination at a hearing in March, according to the Union-Tribune.
Read the Union-Tribune's story "Officer Who Sued City Over Pageant Activity Loses Job" for more details.
