SEATTLE
A King County jury has ruled in favor of two out of three plaintiffs in the retaliation civil trial against the Seattle Police Department.
The jury awarded nearly $2 million in damages to Sgt. Ella Elias and nearly $1 million to Captain Dave Proudfoot.
Three police staffers sued the department, claiming they were unfairly punished. Sgt. Ella Elias claims she became the target of hostility after she complained how overtime pay had been improperly doled out. A captain and lieutenant claimed they suffered retaliation after they questioned the handling of the matter.
“I’m just grateful they listened to us,” said Sgt. Elias. “For me it’s been 5 years this has been going on.”
Elias, an Army veteran, has served 24 years on the Seattle Police force. During her time at the South Precinct, she said a group of subordinate African-American officers became hostile after she reported an unfair practice of giving lucrative overtime shifts to them.
Elias testified she was hurt by two complaints filed against her for making racially charged statements she says were taken out of context. Elias is not only a woman, but she is also gay.
“It’s never been about race. it’s been about integrity, fairness, and equity for all, not just a small group of people. I just want to move forward,” said Elias.
Her co-plaintiffs, Lt. Steve Strand and Captain Dave Proudfoot, backed her up. Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole eventually transferred all three from the South Precinct to lower paying positions.
While the three staffers weren’t demoted in rank, they claim they were demoted in pay and duties. Their attorneys asked the jury to consider a $1-$3 million award for each plaintiff if they believe their case.
Jurors awarded $1.9 million to Elias, $932,00 to Proudfoot.
“The single thing we do in the course of our day is protect the rights of individuals, and we have to be accountable with the people we lead and make sure they’re doing things the right way,” said Proudfoot.
Strand said he didn’t understand why the jury excluded him, but expressed respect for the process and his colleagues who testified.
“I’d like to say thank you to my colleagues who got on the stand, told the truth and spoke from their heart. It was very difficult and emotional, and now it’s time to rebuild those relationships that have been strained for 2 years,” Strand said.
All three plaintiffs spoke about mending relations in the department and finding positive ways to move forward. The South Precinct is charged with policing one of the most diverse areas of the city. The department strives for its officers to reflect that diversity, but the civil trial revealed rancor between two squads took on racial undertones.
Several members of the Seattle Police Department testified, including Police Chief O’Toole, who claimed she stepped in when the tension reached a boiling point.
The chief issued a statement standing by her decisions.
“I took the high road during this process and will take the high road during the appeal. I was hired to lead this department through needed reforms, will continue to make the hard decisions necessary to move forward, and will stand by those decisions,” her statement read.
The case when to jury last Thursday; jurors reached a verdict within two days.
KING 5’s Elisa Hahn has been following the case and is tweeting the latest updates at@ElisaHahnK5.