DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned that a veteran Denver police officer has been suspended for three months for a barrage of anti-gay comments directed at coworkers, including referring to lesbian colleagues as "that dyke ... dyke bitch" and even more offensive sexual terms.
According to a disciplinary order obtained Tuesday by CBS4, Denver's Deputy Director of Safety ordered Officer Ricardo Damian to begin serving two unpaid 90-day suspensions this week to run concurrently.
A spokesperson for the Department of Safety says Damian, who has been with the DPD since 1991, is appealing the suspensions.
"Officer Damian admitted that he called (another employee) a 'dyke bitch' on a few occasions ... and claimed that (she) had referred to herself as a 'dyke' in the past," according to a departmental narrative obtained by CBS4. "He admitted saying some things that he 'isn't proud of' but claimed that he was never told by anyone that they were offended."
According to an internal police investigation, earlier this year two crime scene investigators lodged a formal complaint about Damian's frequent anti-gay statements. One employee said whenever Damian heard the voice of a female colleague on the radio he referred to her as a "dike bitch."
The employee "stated that she did not believe that Officer Damian was saying these things in jest, or in a joking manner ... she found Officer Damian's comments and remarks disturbing and inappropriate." The employee said she did not complain about what she heard because she "feared any repercussions from doing so."
A second crime scene investigator said Damian consistently referred to another employee as a "bitch" or a "f-ing bitch" whenever she spoke on the radio.
A third employee interviewed as part of the investigation said that on May 18, 2014, another employee told her Damian referred to another employee as "That Dyke" and other crude phrases referring to sexual orientation.
A male crime scene investigator was interviewed and said Damian disparaged gay marriage and made "derogatory comments that referred to another ... employee's sexual orientation."
One gay employee said she was told that Damian wondered out loud "who the man in the relationship was and about whether or not (she) and her partner used 'toys' during sex."
Confronted by department investigators, Damian admitted to many of the comments but said much of it came during moments of "friendly banter" between him and other employees.
The department has found Damian engaged in discrimination, harassment, retaliation and conduct prejudicial to the department.
"Officer Damian repeatedly, and over the course of several months, made repugnant, offensive and derogatory remarks in the workplace. He breached the trust that was placed upon him by the department and he abused the authority he was given when he made the inappropriate, derogatory, biased and discriminatory remarks about ... gender and sexual orientation," the order authored by Deputy Director of Safety Jess Vigil states.
Vigil goes on to term Damian's conduct "inexcusable." Vigil noted that Damian had no significant disciplinary history.
Denver Suspends Officer For Anti-Gay Comments
/ CBS Colorado
DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned that a veteran Denver police officer has been suspended for three months for a barrage of anti-gay comments directed at coworkers, including referring to lesbian colleagues as "that dyke ... dyke bitch" and even more offensive sexual terms.
According to a disciplinary order obtained Tuesday by CBS4, Denver's Deputy Director of Safety ordered Officer Ricardo Damian to begin serving two unpaid 90-day suspensions this week to run concurrently.
A spokesperson for the Department of Safety says Damian, who has been with the DPD since 1991, is appealing the suspensions.
"Officer Damian admitted that he called (another employee) a 'dyke bitch' on a few occasions ... and claimed that (she) had referred to herself as a 'dyke' in the past," according to a departmental narrative obtained by CBS4. "He admitted saying some things that he 'isn't proud of' but claimed that he was never told by anyone that they were offended."
According to an internal police investigation, earlier this year two crime scene investigators lodged a formal complaint about Damian's frequent anti-gay statements. One employee said whenever Damian heard the voice of a female colleague on the radio he referred to her as a "dike bitch."
The employee "stated that she did not believe that Officer Damian was saying these things in jest, or in a joking manner ... she found Officer Damian's comments and remarks disturbing and inappropriate." The employee said she did not complain about what she heard because she "feared any repercussions from doing so."
A second crime scene investigator said Damian consistently referred to another employee as a "bitch" or a "f-ing bitch" whenever she spoke on the radio.
A third employee interviewed as part of the investigation said that on May 18, 2014, another employee told her Damian referred to another employee as "That Dyke" and other crude phrases referring to sexual orientation.
A male crime scene investigator was interviewed and said Damian disparaged gay marriage and made "derogatory comments that referred to another ... employee's sexual orientation."
One gay employee said she was told that Damian wondered out loud "who the man in the relationship was and about whether or not (she) and her partner used 'toys' during sex."
Confronted by department investigators, Damian admitted to many of the comments but said much of it came during moments of "friendly banter" between him and other employees.
The department has found Damian engaged in discrimination, harassment, retaliation and conduct prejudicial to the department.
"Officer Damian repeatedly, and over the course of several months, made repugnant, offensive and derogatory remarks in the workplace. He breached the trust that was placed upon him by the department and he abused the authority he was given when he made the inappropriate, derogatory, biased and discriminatory remarks about ... gender and sexual orientation," the order authored by Deputy Director of Safety Jess Vigil states.
Vigil goes on to term Damian's conduct "inexcusable." Vigil noted that Damian had no significant disciplinary history.
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