Verdict finds former K-9 trainee was unfairly dismissed; case highlights ongoing workplace-equity challenges within the agency.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the Capitol Police discriminated against Officer Mauricia VanMeter when she was dismissed from the department’s K-9 training program in 2017. The jury awarded $850,000 in damages after determining that VanMeter was treated differently than male trainees and was unfairly failed by her supervisor. The case, filed in 2018, proceeded through several delays before the trial concluded this year under District of Columbia Judge Jia Cobb.
Evidence presented included expert testimony indicating that VanMeter’s performance equaled or surpassed that of male trainees who passed the program. The ruling follows other recent discrimination findings involving the department’s K-9 unit, including a 2023 decision supporting a former sergeant’s racial-discrimination claim.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For law enforcement training officials to evaluate trainees based on aptitude and merit.
- For discernment for federal judges and juries as they hear cases involving various types of discrimination.
Sources: Roll Call, MSN
