OROVILLE, Calif. - The City of Oroville says it is denying claims of a hostile work environment and racial discrimination made by Officer Michael Sears last week.
“The numerous allegations made by Sears have been thoroughly and independently investigated and determined to be wholly without merit,” the city said in a news release on Thursday.
The complaint outlines a long list of allegations of race discrimination, denial of due process for formal complaints Sears filed within the department, retaliatory actions for filing complaints and other adverse employment actions.
Sears, who is Black, is on unpaid leave after he was denied workers comp after an event triggered PTSD. The lawsuit claims that another officer, who is white, received workers comp for the same incident.
Sears’ attorney, Larry Baumbach, says he is confident he can prove the allegations in the complaint. Baumbach is also representing former officer Robert Raiter, who filed a lawsuit against the City of Oroville in March.
“The City of Oroville intends to vigorously challenge this lawsuit at trial and defend those wrongfully accused in court,” the city said.
The full statement from the City of Oroville is below.
"Oroville Police Officer Michael Sears, through his Chico attorney, has filed a lawsuit against the City in which he makes wild accusations of a hostile work environment, racial discrimination, and disparate treatment, among other things. The City categorically denies the claims and it looks forward to demonstrating the truth related to these accusations.
The numerous allegations made by Sears have been thoroughly and independently investigated and determined to be wholly without merit. The City of Oroville intends to vigorously challenge this lawsuit at trial and defend those wrongfully accused in court."
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