A former Fresno police officer is suing the department for a hostile work environment and discrimination, claiming she was used as a “token minority.”
Amya Brooks, who left the Fresno Police Department in June, filed the lawsuit in the Fresno County Superior Court last week.
The big picture: Brooks, who is Black, is suing the department and Cpl. Gerald Sepeda, who was her direct supervisor for several months in 2023.
- She claims the department created a hostile work environment with race, sex and gender-based harassment.
- She also claims she was discriminated against for her race and gender.
Early employment: Brooks began with the department in May 2022 when she was 21 and served as one of only three female Black officers in the entire force, according to the lawsuit.
- One month into her employment, Brooks claims that Lt. Marcus Gray, who is also Black, told her “Just because you’re Black, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be handed to you.” That comment was not prompted by Brooks, according to the lawsuit.
- Days later Cp. Peter Ogbowa, another Black male, told Brooks that “Black females have a bad reputation in this department.” He added that Black females are known for having “bad attitudes” and being “untrustworthy.”
- Later that day, Brooks spoke with Sgt. Katrina Lloyd, a Black female, who said she had been subjected to similar comments. Lloyd spoke with Gray, leading Gray to begin referring to Brooks as “the snitch,” according to the lawsuit.
- In July 2022, Ogbobwa instructed Brooks to attend a community outreach event at a local church because then Police Chief Paco Balderrama “wanted the Black officers there” to showcase the department’s diversity to the media.
- Balderrama allegedly requested that Brooks stand next to him for the group photo that was published on social media. “Brooks drove home feeling humiliated and exploited for her gender and skin color,” the lawsuit reads.
- In August 2022 Brooks was told to go to a gym founded and run by officer Lindsay Dozier, who is white, for a local television news segment. Brooks claims that the department viewed the news segment as an opportunity to artificially over inflate its diversity.
Go deeper: Brooks was promoted from Cadet to Officer in August 2022, and in December of that year Balderrama entered her training and requested a group photo for the department’s social media pages. Balderrama asked Brooks to stand directly next to him.
- “Once the photo was taken, Chief Balderrama promptly left, at which time Lt. Gray laughed and joked that Brooks is ‘already getting the treatment.’ Once again, Brooks left this incident feeling humiliated and exploited for her gender and race, rather than valued for her commitment to protecting and serving her community,” the lawsuit reads.
- A few days later Brooks reported to Cpt. Joey Alvarez that she felt targeted and alienated because of her skin color. Alvarez told her that the department needed her because she’s a Black female.
- “Although Brooks believes Cpt. Alvarez intended the comment to empower and inspire Brooks, the real implication of Cpt. Alvarez’s comment was that as one of three African American females in the Department, Brooks was needed to serve as a token minority whom the Department could outwardly showcase to meet diversity initiatives before the eyes of a skeptical public,” the lawsuit reads. “Brooks left her meeting with Cpt. Alvarez feeling increasingly frustrated but remained determined to succeed in the career path she had chosen as a little girl.”
Serving under Sepeda: Brooks was assigned to train under Sepeda in May 2023. Shortly after starting with him, they were sitting in his patrol car when they received a call about a Black female causing a disturbance inside of a McDonald’s.
- Sepeda allegedly told Brooks: “Another Angry Black bitch – you can deal with this one.”
- Brooks did not initially rebuke Sepeda out of fear of retaliation and because Sepeda allegedly had an extensive history of violent behavior that was well-known throughout the department.
- According to the lawsuit, Sepeda was known to ball up his fists in anger, slam his fists on the computer atop the center console of his patrol car and forcefully punch his patrol car door. Brooks claims she had witnessed that violent behavior firsthand.
- Later that day, Brooks complained about Sepeda’s comments to three officers, who all advised her to not report it so that she could get through training without risking her job.
- In June 2023 Brooks was in the patrol car with Sepeda when he said he was craving Pink Panthers Coffee Shop, which has baristas who wear lingerie. Brooks asked Sepeda what he orders there, and Sepeda replied that he likes “a nice piece of ass.”
- Brooks discussed the comment with other officers, who again told her to not report Sepeda.
- Brooks also claims that Sepeda told him that another officer liked her because she has a “nice, petite, ebony booty.” She didn’t respond, so Sepeda told her, “You have a dry personality. Being a cop, you have to put on an act sometimes.”
- After another incident, Brooks went to a Sgt.’s office to report Sepeda for his comments. After being said she should be used to the comments after attending the academy, she was sent home for the day.
- She claims Sepeda initiated an Internal Affairs complaint against her for insubordination after her complaints. The investigation did not result in any findings.
Change of shift: In October 2023 Brooks was assigned to serve under Sgt. Marissa Jackson and was given the midnight shift patrolling southwest Fresno. She was not assigned a partner for the shift.
- Four days into her new assignment, Brooks observed around 150 people leaving Mezcal Lounge night club. She parked her car, turned off her headlights and turned on her blue lights to announce her presence to the crowd while avoiding drawing excessive attention.
- The group of people went on both sides of her car, and some members of the group drew firearms and began shooting at each other from across her car. Brooks called the shooting into dispatch and was caught in the crossfire for around 30 to 45 seconds.
- Brooks filled out her report on the incident but claims in the lawsuit that Jackson made some changes to say that the group grew agitated before the shooting began, that one of the suspects’ dreadlocks fell in front of his face and eyes and that Brooks activated her bodycam. Brooks claims that all three additions are fabrications.
- She later told Jackson that she was experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Jackson told her to resign.
- Brooks requested to be placed on leave to seek medical treatment for PTSD, which was eventually granted after being denied twice.
- Brooks returned to the department in February and was later placed on temporary total disability. She resigned from the department on June 14, saying at the time that returning to the department would be intolerable.
