Officer suing Phoenix police claims gender discrimination over pregnancy

PHOENIX — A Phoenix police officer is suing the department over a gender discrimination claim stemming from her 2018 pregnancy.

Angelique Briggs, 32, said in a lawsuit filed last week that the Phoenix Police Department denied her previously approved transfer request in May 2018 after high-ranking members found out she was pregnant.

Briggs claims the decision caused her stress and resulted in her having a miscarriage after seven weeks of pregnancy.

She is asking for compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable costs and attorney fees, according to the lawsuit.

Briggs and her husband found out she was pregnant in April 2018 and told some of her fellow officers in May 2018 of her pregnancy, according to the lawsuit.

Briggs was informed by several of her colleagues in May 2018 that Sgt. Gary Bradley, the leader of the squad she was intending to transfer to, had asked Sgt. Christopher Sund how he could “go around” Briggs’ transfer request, explaining that “I don’t want a pregnant female on my squad,” the lawsuit alleges.

Briggs had previously requested a transfer from squad 91B to 91A in March 2018 because 91A offered a more favorable work schedule, according to the lawsuit.

Briggs’ transfer was the only one pending to 91A at the time and she was told by Sund it would be become effective on May 21, the lawsuit said.

Sund told Briggs on May 24 that she would not be transferring to 91A because a more senior officer had requested a transfer to the squad before she did, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges the department tried several times to thwart her attempt to join the new squad after the initial transfer rejection.

Sgt. Vincent Lewis said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

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