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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Female Wayne County Sheriff's deputy claims discrimination, retaliation

Waynecounty

WAYNE – A woman is suing the Wayne County Commission and the Wayne County Sheriff after she claims she was discriminated against and retaliated against.

Sheria Maynard has been employed with the Sheriff’s Department in Wayne since Aug. 26, 1998, according to a complaint filed June 6 in Wayne Circuit Court.

Maynard claims she currently serves as Sergeant with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and on March 14, 2014, she had a conversation with Sheriff Gregory Farley wherein he made a statement that he needed employees to work evening shift and she responded that she would work evening shift and that it was not a problem.

Farley then told Maynard he would not let her work evening shift and she responded that it was discrimination and Farley then replied to her that she had never used “being a woman” in the past to get what she wanted, according to the suit.

Maynard claims she complained in good faith that denying her the opportunity to work evening shift was discrimination based on her gender.

Later in 2014, Maynard applied for the rank of Lieutenant. Sgt. James Ward also applied for the position. On July 15, 2014, Ward received the promotion and Maynard did not, according to the suit.

Maynard claims she has superior qualifications as mandated by prior case law and that she was denied the promotion due to her sex and retaliation.

On Aug. 1, 2014, Maynard had another conversation with Farley where she advised him that he had discriminated against her since he took office and on Aug. 6, 2014, she received a letter of reprimand in retaliation for her good faith complaint of discrimination, according to the suit.

Maynard claims in December 2014, she received an evaluation which was lower by 20 points due to her sex and in retaliation for her good faith complaint of discrimination.

In February 2015, Maynard received a demotion in that her supervisory duties were taken away and she was no longer permitted to check accident reports and she has been disciplined more harshly than similarly situated male officers in that her scheduled has changed, male officers out of uniform received no reprimand and other acts of discrimination and retaliation, according to the suit.

Maynard is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Dwight J. Staples of Henderson, Henderson & Staples LC.

Wayne Circuit Court case number: 16-C-078

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