KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An attorney representing three female KCPD employees who are suing the Board of Police Commissioners is relieved the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the department.
"I'm happy there's finally going to be some transparency, some accountability and potentially some change," said Spencer Webster, principal attorney for Webster Law, LLC.
All three of the women are alleging discrimination and harassment in the lawsuits.
KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said regardless of the outcome of the investigation, city officials need to take steps to improve the lives of KCPD employees.
"No matter what becomes of this investigation, it's important for us to take steps and make sure we're doing right by our officers," Lucas said.
Webster and his firm have been busy in this area, demanding accountability from the KCMO Board of Police Commissioners.
KSHB 41 reviewed the three individual lawsuits filed this past spring.
Each lawsuit alleges "the Human Resources Department failed to take Plaintiff's complaints of discrimination and harassment seriously."
Webster says a fourth lawsuit is imminent, and his firm is working on a fifth.
"One of the allegations in our lawsuit is that her supervisor called her a 'toad face,' and that's just unacceptable in any workplace environment — but especially one where the taxpayers fund it," he said.
In a statement on Monday, KCPD Interim Chief of Police Joseph Mabin said the department is fully cooperating with the investigation.
"We will cooperate fully with the investigation. It is the policy and practice of the Board of Police Commissioners and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to provide a work atmosphere free of actual or perceived discrimination and harassment," he said.
Webster says that the federal inquiry is uncomfortable, but necessary.
"To be honest with you, I'm a little fearful of what is going to come out of this investigation, because of just the egregiousness that this department has acted with thus far," he said. "I do hope there's a report, I don't know if there will be, but I do know we'll learn things we do not know as of now."
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