By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A St. Louis County jury awarded nearly $6.3 million to a former police lieutenant in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
• The award stemmed from claims that the department retaliated against the lieutenant for refusing to punish officers who reported discrimination.
• Incidents cited in the case included an active-shooter response nomination that was downgraded and exclusion from a departmental ceremony.
• The St. Louis County Police Department plans to appeal the verdict.
CLAYTON, MO — A St. Louis County jury has awarded nearly $6.3 million to a former police lieutenant who alleged he faced retaliation and discrimination while serving in the department.
The civil verdict, returned Friday, follows claims by former St. Louis County Police Lieutenant Mike Reifschneider that he was pressured to retaliate against officers who reported discrimination and was punished when he refused to do so.
Testimony and evidence presented at trial included an episode from January 2020 in which Reifschneider was nominated for a departmental award for his actions during an active-shooter incident. The nomination was marked up by a commander, downgrading key language, and he was later excluded from a ceremony with the impacted family, according to court records.
The lawsuit also detailed that on the same day he was excluded from the ceremony, department policy was amended in a way that made it more difficult for Reifschneider to advance in rank.
Reifschneider and his attorneys argued that a culture of retaliation within the department forced him out of the agency. A former chief also testified about experiencing discrimination during her tenure, according to trial coverage.
The St. Louis County Police Department declined to comment on the verdict but indicated it intends to appeal the decision, underscoring that litigation remains ongoing.