SAN DIEGO — Nearly a dozen San Diego Unified Police Officers are suing the school district and the district's chief for creating a hostile work environment, retaliation, and promoting an officer whom he is in a relationship with over other more qualified candidates.
According to the lawsuit, the 11 officers informed the district about a relationship between Chief Alfonso Contreras and Sergeant Jenifer Gruner and the conflicts that it created inside the department.
The officers say that Chief Contreras punished those who did not support Gruner out in the field and in her scope of work.
"The relationship created divisiveness and created a hostile work environment for any member of the [police department] who disapproved of the relationship, did not 'take care of' Gruner, praise her, or support her," reads the lawsuit.
In a December 13 statement, attorney John Gomez stated that Gruner received other special treatment from Chief Contreras. Gruner received immense special privileges due to Mr. Contreras’ high position," reads the statement. "Those privileges have only intensified since Mr. Contreras’ tenure as Chief, including taking training time off to attend Notre Dame football games with Chief Contreras, (photos of which ended up plastered all over social media), not having to clock in and out of her shifts properly, and other privileges. Department members also noticed Ms. Gruner took long lunches, went to the nail salon while on duty, left her shifts early, and failed to wear her uniform while on the clock."
The 11 officers say the Chief's relationship with Gruner continues to negatively impact the moral inside the department.
The lawsuit will continue to make its way through the courts.
The district did not respond to CBS 8's request for comment on the lawsuit.