On November 26, 2007 Greenwood Police Chief Keith Jackson received notification from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that a sexual discrimination complaint had been filed against the department by police officer Heather McCaslin.
Last week the EEOC sent out a notice that the investigation was complete and that the complaint had been dismissed.
According to the notice stated that "based upon the investigation, the EEOC is unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes violations of the statutes."
McCaslin, a nine-year veteran with the department, claimed that she had been discriminated against for the following reasons:
McCaslin was denied a transfer to the School Resource Officer position in May of 2007, which was given to a less experienced male officer.
She was denied a request for a new car while she was with the Criminal Investigation Division.
McCaslin stated that she is required to use her own leave time when needing a day off while males in the department do not.
McCaslin said that she discovered last June that she was making less money compared to a male in the same position.
McCaslin also filed a charge of retaliation against the department stating that after she approached the EEOC she was placed under investigation, disciplined and had an administrative hearing for insubordination.
"I believe I was denied a transfer, subjected to different terms and conditions of employment and paid less wages because of my sex," said McCaslin in her reports. "I was subjected to retaliation for contacting the EEOC in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended."
Chief Jackson stated that McCaslin's claims had no merit and in his report to the EEOC he refuted each one of her complaints.
Jackson contends that the charge that he chose a less experienced officer for the School Resource position holds no water due to the fact that a female officer with no experience was hired into the department as an SRO in 2005. Chief Jackson chose officer Mike McCaslin for that position with some input from the school district. Mike McCaslin was requested by the school at the May 14, 2007 City Council meeting.
McCaslin's claim that she was being paid less than a male in the same position Jackson stated that she is the highest paid Corporal in the department and that the only reason a male Corporal was given a larger yearly raise was to bring his salary up to up to the $15 per hour minimum for Corporals in the department.
Jackson defended the claim by McCaslin that she did not receive a new vehicle while with the CID stating that no one in CID received a new vehicle while she was assigned to the unit.
Chief Jackson stated that McCaslin has never been denied time off and that the only schedules that were adjusted were for those officers who serve in the military as required by Federal law. Jackson also said that he had made special provisions for McCaslin and her husband, also a law enforcement officer, so that their schedules would not conflict so that one of them could be home to care for their son.
As for the claim that of retaliation Jackson stated, "The Greenwood Police Department vehemently denies any form of retaliation," said Jackson. "In fact I was not aware of the complaint until November 26, 2007 well after the internal investigation was opened on November 15."
To date McCaslin is still employed by the department.
