A San Diego Police lieutenant claims she was punished for complaining about aggressive and offensive behavior, including verbal outbursts and physical pushing, by one of her bosses.
Lt. Natalie Stone details the alleged behavior by veteran SDPD Capt. Brian Ahearn in a complaint filed on her behalf by her attorney Dan Gilleon on Sept. 18 against the city of San Diego.
In the 19-page lawsuit, obtained by NBC 7 Investigates, Stone said she was essentially demoted when she was given an unwanted transfer after complaining about Ahearn’s allegedly offensive and intimidating actions.
The civil complaint claims Ahearn violated the state criminal code, civil assault and battery law and SDPD rules and regulations earlier this year as the two officers worked in the SDPD recruit training program.
According to Stone, Ahearn created a hostile work environment. She said she witnessed Ahearn repeatedly lose his temper and once saw him repeatedly push a subordinate in the chest outside a training class.
"I was uncomfortable working with his outbursts, which frequently involved loud yelling, pounding his hands on desks and flailing hand gestures,” Stone wrote in a Sept. 1 memo filed with the court. “The hostile environment caused me to have medical issues related to stress."
In her lawsuit, Stone alleges that when she requested a change in assignment in May, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman and Asst. Chief Sarah Creighton mishandled the issue, wrongly demoted her and retaliated against her after she complained about Ahearn's reportedly disruptive behavior.
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Stone claims in her memo that her superiors transferred her to a lesser, entry level position in Patrol Command.
"This was done to embarrass me and show other members of the Department that if you make a complaint against someone at the Commanding Officer level, you will be 'put in your place,'" she wrote.
The lawsuit also names Zimmerman and Creighton as defendants.
"She's worked so hard for that department and done everything right," said Gilleon, "and for them to take her, after five months at the academy and put her in an entry-level position for a lieutenant, is really telling her, 'You know what? You mean nothing to us, because you're someone who complained.’"
Ahearn, Creighton and Zimmerman did not respond to NBC 7 Investigates’ request for comment, made earlier Monday through the SDPD’s Public Information Office.
A department spokesperson did send the following statement:
“The allegations contained in the lawsuit relate to a personnel matter. Under state law, personnel matters are confidential and we are prohibited from commenting. As per policy, we take all complaints and allegations of misconduct seriously, and we investigate thoroughly. Any questions relating to the litigation should be referred to the City Attorney’s Office.”
