CAMDEN – In a lawsuit reportedly filed in federal court, two female detectives are accusing the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office of persistent discrimination and intimidation in its investigative arm.
Lakeisha Davis and Kathryn Gannon filed their complaint Feb. 14. The two women say they are the victims of years of discrimination and a hostile work environment, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
The women allege they were given menial duties and have been subjected to inappropriate comments, among other things in the 57-page complaint, the Press reported.
There is also an allegation that a racial and sexist slur was made in reference to Davis, who is Black, the Press reported.
The Press reported Burnham Douglass filed the suit on behalf of the plaintiffs, a firm which took on Atlantic County prosecutor Damon Tyner, represented West Wildwood Police Chief Jackie Ferentz in a successful $1.7 million lawsuit, and currently is representing former West Wildwood Mayor Christopher Fox in an appeal of his ethics violation.
The suit names Chief Detective Paul Skill and Lt. Steve Vivarina as defendants, but not Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland.
Both plaintiffs allege they were wrongly passed on for a promotion they deserved and given worse assignments because they are women, the Press reported.
The suit says male detectives routinely used the word “b—h” to describe women and Davis was told if she was unhappy to get a job pumping gas, the Press reported.
There is also an allegation Davis was investigated because someone covered her shift while she attended a Black Lives Matter event, even though having another detective cover a shift was common practice, the Press reported.
