# Tennessee Detective Says She Was Forced to Resign



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*CLAY BAILEY *
_The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)_









A former Germantown police detective has filed a federal lawsuit against the suburb claiming she suffered harassment and discrimination after ending a sexual relationship with her supervisor.
Amanda Hollin Blancett, 34, who left the department a year ago, filed the lawsuit late Friday afternoon accusing Insp. Danny Payne, former commander of the detective division, of creating a hostile work environment, turning co-workers against her and overscheduling her duties after the pair ceased their consensual relationship in June 2002.
Blancett contends the actions by Payne and the police department were designed to force her resignation or firing from the department.
She states that she was "forced to resign" Nov. 2, 2005.
Payne was transferred from the investigative division to police administration this month after years of leading the detectives.
Blancett's attorney, Henry Shelton, declined to elaborate on statements in the lawsuit.
The suit asks for an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages.
City Administrator Patrick Lawton declined comment on the lawsuit. The city only had a draft of the complaint Monday afternoon.
City officials were aware of the pending action because Blancett had gone through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Tennessee Human Rights Commission before filing the suit.
Asked if there was any connection between Payne's recent transfer and the complaint, Lawton replied: "Not a thing. They are totally unrelated."
The lawsuit was filed electronically late last week but because of the Veterans Day holiday had not been posted as of Monday.
The draft complaint sent to the city claims Blancett sought help from what she perceived as discrimination and harassment after the relationship with Payne ended, but received no relief.
She was told to write memos about her concerns rather than discussing them with supervisors. Blancett said at one point she went to city Personnel Director Pat McConnell seeking assistance "in dealing with the discriminatory and harassing behavior she was experiencing."
"(Blancett) received no assistance and nothing was done about the problem," the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff, who was hired in July 1997, stated that atmosphere didn't exist until the consensual relationship with Payne ended.
The lawsuit states that Payne coaxed the department's leaders to persecute Blancett. She alleges that when Capt. Jim Bruce, another former employee, was moved to the detective division, Payne and Capt. Adrian Webster encouraged Bruce to treat Blancett differently from the male detectives because she had "caused problems in the past and was likely to do so again."
Blancett's lawsuit contends that after the relationship ended, Payne increased her job responsibilities and made her the first call, even after hours, regarding crimes against women. Blancett was the only female detective at the time.
The former detective said she began receiving unfavorable evaluations and was passed over to lead prime investigations for which she had training, such as the 2003 murder of Sondresha Koins, which remains unsolved, in favor of male investigators. The former detective blames the ended relationship as the reason for her problems.
The atmosphere and high level of stress required Blancett to seek treatment at Lakeside Hospital in October 2004, the suit states.
- Clay Bailey : 529-2393

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## lawdog671 (Sep 20, 2005)

Funny how they only complain when the 'relationship" ends??? And I wonder if she was a little underscheduled because of the boyfriend, and now is being held to same standard as the rest?? I'm not buying it.


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