COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus Division of Police deputy has filed a lawsuit against the city and her department regarding gender and race discrimination and retaliation.
The lawsuit, filed last week by Deputy Chief Jennifer Knight, lists multiple defendants including Police Chief Elaine Bryant, First Assistant Chief of Police Lashanna Potts, Mayor Andrew Ginther, current Public Safety Director Robert Clark and former director Ned Pettus.
According to the lawsuit, Knight says the defendants are trying to force her to "resign and/or fabricate a case of misconduct against her to justify termination of her employment" because she has been an "outspoken critic" of their policies and practices.
The lawsuit details incidents dating back to December 2016 and as recent as last year.
In November 2021, Knight was put on leave after failing to show up for a mandatory drug test. She was able to return to duty in December.
Following Knight's suspension, her lawyer Zachary Gottesman said he and his client felt the decision to relieve her of duty was in retaliation to the deputy chief’s opinion on how the division handled the Lt. Melissa McFadden “situation.”
In September, an independent review found several top officers, including Knight, retaliated against McFadden after the release of her book titled “Walking the Thin Black Line: Confronting Racism in the Columbus Division of Police.”
10TV reached out to the parties listed as defendants in the lawsuit. The Department of Public Safety, including the Columbus Division of Police, and the mayor’s office said they are not able to comment on pending litigation.
A spokesperson for Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein issued the following statement: “We will review all allegations made and proceed accordingly. City Attorney Klein does not tolerate discriminatory conduct of any kind."
