Maintaining that for her own safety the Police Department’s first Black K-9 handler officer was placed on light duty after becoming pregnant, the city of Redondo Beach is seeking dismissal of her suit alleging she was wrongfully removed from patrol after she became an expectant mother in 2021.
Officer Daryn Glenn’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges gender and pregnancy discrimination, harassment, retaliation and failure to prevent harassment and discrimination. She is not suing for race discrimination.
In court papers filed Thursday, attorneys for the city state that when Glenn announced her pregnancy in October 2021, the department had in place a light-duty policy to address temporary physical disabilities resulting for expectant mothers.
“The policy was supported by substantive medical evidence establishing that the performance of normal law enforcement activities during that period placed the officer and the fetus at risk of significant harm,” the suit states.
After a discussion between Glenn and a supervisor, the RBPD “temporarily relieved plaintiff from having to perform patrol and canine duties and assigned her to perform light desk duties,” according to the defense lawyers’ court papers.
Glenn remained classified a canine officer and continued to receive the extra pay that comes with the job, according to the city’s counsel’s court papers, which also state the plaintiff kept the same rank and seniority without a reduction in pay or benefits during the light-duty period.
A new canine pairing was planned when Glenn returned to her normal duties, according to the court papers of the city’s lawyers, which further state the department and the chief made numerous accommodations for her before she resigned her K-9 position on Feb. 24, a month before she was scheduled for state dog-handling classes.
The city has also submitted a sworn declaration in support of the dismissal motion from Dr. Fabrice Czarnecki, the past chairman of the Police Physicians Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Czarnecki states that pregnant police officers potentially face dangers from both trauma and exposure to hazardous metals, including lead during firearms training. Other hazards include chemical exposure at clandestine labs, solvents used to clean weapons and noise, Czarnecki says.
According to her suit, the 29-year-old Glenn was hired in 2017 and became the city’s first Black K-9 handler in 2021. Glenn became pregnant in October 2021 and told her supervisors, who that same day took her off her patrol assignment, according to the suit, which also states that Glenn was told that she was being taken off patrol because the department allegedly does not have maternity uniforms for pregnant officers.
Glenn was reassigned to dispatch and remained there until going on maternity leave in June 2022, the suit states.
When Glenn complained to her union president in November 2021 that the department was discriminating against her on the basis of her sex, gender, and pregnancy and that the transfer was not recommended or required by her doctor, he responded by saying “words to the effect of, `If you want to stay in canine unit, I can push you down the stairs or kick you in the stomach,’ ” the suit states.
Glenn reported the union president’s alleged comment to her supervisor, Lt. Cory King, who did not investigate and told the plaintiff to ignore the remark, the suit alleges.
Glenn further alleges the RBPD took away her patrol vehicle, forbade her from attending K-9 training and ordered her to turn over her dog in January 2022 so it could be sold.
Previously, a disabled male officer was allowed to continue working patrol and attend K-9 training with his dog and was never reassigned to a light duty position for alleged safety reasons, nor was his animal taken away, according to the suit.
Glenn’s career has been damaged because she has been lost overtime and promotional opportunities, and the stress has impacted her health, her suit filed in September 2022 states.
Glenn’s case was recently reassigned from Judge Alison Mackenzie to Judge Colin P. Leis, who will schedule a hearing date for the city’s dismissal motion.