Four officers claim Metro discrimination

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999 | 9:55 a.m.

Four female Metro Police officers stood outside police headquarters Monday claiming the department fired, demoted or transferred them because of their gender.

Each woman told her story of how she thought she was treated badly by Metro Police and disciplined for no other reason than being a woman.

Metro Police refused to comment on the women's allegations, stating that each case was in court or going through an appeal process.

Of the 1,687 Metro officers, 145 are women. There is one female deputy chief, one captain, four lieutenants, 13 sergeants, 118 officers and eight recruits, according to Metro Police.

Last month Terry Lesney was named the first female deputy chief at Metro.

"We are simply four ordinary women who chose to serve our community as police officers and keep it safe," said Sgt. Debra Gauthier, who claims she was demoted in 1997 after filing a civil rights claim against the department.

She said the department has trumped up claims against all of four of them because the women spoke out.

Tambra Ruesch, who joined Metro in January 1995, was fired in July. Tamia L. Dow, an officer since 1989, was demoted from sergeant to officer and assigned to the airport in September. Sgt. Juanita M. Goode was transferred out of the firearms detail to patrol on a graveyard shift.

Each woman claimed the allegations that led to their being disciplined were because they spoke up about what they described as discrimination and wrongdoing at Metro.