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365Gay.com
One Cop Fired,
Another Suspended
Over Anti-Gay Remark
From the Web March
19, 2008
Austin, Texas, Mar.18 -- A
veteran police commander has been suspended for 20 days for demonstrating
"personal bias" toward gay officers and a second commander who did not report
the remark and then refused to take a suspension for it has been fired.
Cmdr. Calvin Smith, a 34 year veteran of the force and the newly appointed
supervisor of the Austin police training academy, told outgoing supervisor Cmdr.
Larry Oliver that he was worried about the "kind of message" the potential
transfer of a gay female officer would send at the academy the Austin American
Statesman reported.
Smith later denied the woman a transfer to his command. Oliver, following
that, mentioned the conversation that Smith had had with him to another female
officer and a complaint was filed with internal affairs.
During the investigation Oliver told internal affairs investigators that he had
denied the officer's transfer request for reasons other than her sexuality,
according disciplinary papers obtained by The Statesman.
"Commander Smith's opinion concerning the sexual orientation of these employees,
and their assignment within the Austin Police Department, exhibited a personal
bias, was inappropriate, and failed to demonstrate an impartial attitude
required by Austin police employees," the papers said.
The disciplinary papers also noted that Oliver told investigators that he was
"pretty taken aback" by the comment.
"I've reported discriminatory statements in the past to my chain of command,"
according to the papers obtained by The Statesman. "I just didn't do it
this time, and it was an oversight on my part."
Smith agreed to a 20 day suspension but Oliver refused to accept a 30-day
suspension for not reporting the incident.
He was subsequently fired. It is not known if he will appeal.
"We hold our commanders to the highest standards, which were not met in this
case," Assistant Police Chief David Carter, is the department's chief of staff,
told The Statesman.
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