St. Mary’s Co. deputy alleges gender discrimination, retaliation

Listen to this article

A St. Mary’s County sheriff’s deputy is suing the office, alleging she was sexually harassed by male colleagues and lost her position in the otherwise all-male K-9 unit because she is a woman.

Elizabeth O’Connor, who joined the department in 2000, claims she was subjected to a hostile work environment, including inappropriate sexual comments about women and inappropriate touching, as well as retaliation when she complained. She filed suit in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Tuesday, alleging gender discrimination and violations of the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights.

“I think the timing is interesting,” Timothy P. Leahy, O’Connor’s attorney, said Thursday. “You have a lot of sexual harassment claims going on right now.”

O’Connor filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2011 but was informed three months ago the U.S. Department of Justice would not file suit based on her allegations.

Leahy, who did not represent O’Connor during the filing of the complaint, said the six-year process with the EEOC was unusual but called his client brave for pursuing the complaint while remaining with the department.

O’Connor tested highly for a position in the K-9 division in 2007 and became the first female handler despite the trainer’s refusal to endorse her for an open position, according to the complaint.

“She’s always wanted, I think, to be part of one of the elite units,” said Leahy, of The Law Offices of Byrd & Byrd in Bowie.

O’Connor was subject to harassing and insulting comments by her male coworkers, including criticizing her performance by asking her if it was “her time of the month,” the complaint states. She was also subject to sexual comments including the allegation that women could never advance “without spreading (their) legs,” the complaint states.

The trainer for the K-9 unit allegedly sent O’Connor home early rather than training her and did not document the training she was completing, according to the lawsuit. Supervisors also required her to take her canine partner to the veterinarian on her own time when others were given a “duty day,” according to the lawsuit.

O’Connor complained to her supervisor in 2011 and claims she was subjected to “trivial investigations” and evaluations of her fitness for duty. Then, when her canine partner was retired, O’Connor was reassigned to patrol and replaced in the K-9 division with a male deputy.

Leahy said to his knowledge, the K-9 division remains all male.

“I’m not aware of any diversity,” he said.

The lawsuit seeks O’Connor’s reappointment to the K-9 division, backpay, damages and injunctive relief.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office declined to comment on the pending litigation Thursday.

The case is Elizabeth A. O’Connor v. St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, 8:17-cv-03394-DKC.