A Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy has been suspended without pay following a complaint about a disparaging comment directed at women who work in law enforcement, Sheriff Derek Sanders announced Tuesday.
The complaint was followed by an investigation, a grievance process and an arbitration hearing that ultimately ruled in favor of the sheriff’s decision to suspend the deputy without pay.
“Women excel in this profession, providing valuable contributions and perspective throughout our ranks,” Sanders said.
The investigation was launched in July 2023, according to Sanders’ announcement. The complaint alleged that the deputy took a recording of his body camera footage and posted it to social media, and then used that footage to make a disparaging comment about female police officers, stating that “women don’t belong in law enforcement.”
The deputy also reported his actions, according to Sanders.
Discrimination allegations were substantiated, according to Sanders, and then he determined that suspension without pay and remedial training were appropriate discipline.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association disagreed and filed a grievance, saying the discipline went too far and that the incident didn’t qualify as discrimination.
The grievance went to an arbitration hearing and the arbitrator ruled last week in favor of the sheriff, according to Sanders.
“I fully expect that this marks the closure of this matter so that all impacted parties can move forward,” he said. “If the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is to succeed, our workplace must be one that is inclusive to all persons regardless of their race, color, religion, gender or any other class of people subject to discrimination.”
