Gay cop says she was denied promotion

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Darcie Brown

Updated: April 1, 2012 1:15AM

A North Chicago police sergeant is alleging she has faced stumbling blocks to promotion because she is a woman and she is gay.

Darcie Brown, 55, a 23-year veteran of the North Chicago Police Department and her attorney have lodged complaints under both federal and state law.

In a federal lawsuit alleging a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Brown claims she was denied a direct promotion to sergeant. Instead, she said, Police Chief Mike Newsome named her a first-ever “officer in charge” in 2008. In Jan. 30, 2009, she was appointed “temporary” sergeant, a position she held until her promotion to full sergeant on Nov. 13, 2009.

“I had the uniform and I had the rate of pay,” said Brown, who is currently the only female sergeant in the department. “But I had to keep going into Newsome’s office and keep pressuring him: When am I going to make full sergeant?”

The manipulation of Brown’s advancement caused yet-to-be-resolved problems with pay and pension, and also cost an opportunity to become a lieutenant, said Ronald Cicinelli, Brown’s attorney.

“When they appointed her (as) temporary, they denied her the ability to take the lieutenant’s exam,” Cicinelli said. “The law states that an applicant can only be a temporary sergeant for 60 days.”

The federal discrimination suit, which asks for unspecified damages, names as defendants the city, its council, its Police and Fire Commission, Mayor Leon Rockingham and Police Chief Michael Newsome.

Newsome, who was appointed in late 2005, was placed on paid administrative leave by Rockingham on Jan. 3 in the wake of numerous allegations of excessive police force.

City Attorney Chuck Smith said the suit brought by Brown is being defended by the city’s insurance company.

“The city adamantly denies that it discriminated against Sgt. Brown in any manner,” Smith said.

Brown’s second complaint, which alleges discrimination because of her sexual orientation, was lodged against the same defendants with the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

Brown said that after 20 years of service without a single citizen complaint, she was subjected to a flurry of “frivolous” write-ups that resulted in eight suspension days in one year. She lost three days pay after one write-up, she said, for publicly stating that Orphans of the Storm, which has a contract with the city, is not a no-kill shelter.

“I was an exemplary officer until 2006 — then Newsome came in,” Brown said.

Brown entered into a civil union with her longtime partner in a ceremony at Waukegan City Hall last year. She said her sexual orientation is common knowledge within the department.

Her state complaint alleges that harassment from Newsome’s administration continued despite the IDHR complaint and another, also filed in 2010, with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It also claims she suffered retaliation for filing the complaints.

“We’re confident the city will prevail in both complaints,” Smith said.

At least two other officers have filed suit against the department.

Lt. Curtis Brame, a 26-year veteran of the department is also alleging retaliation by Newsome in a “whistleblower” suit filed in 2009. Another ranking officer in the department has reportedly filed suit after being passed over for a promotion.