Mississippi officer awarded $20,000 after mold complaint
Published 11:43 am Wednesday, July 25, 2018
ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) — A police officer in Mississippi has been awarded $20,000 in damages after a federal jury ruled his police department retaliated against him for complaining about mold in his office.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that Brandon Garrett was a sergeant and detective with the Tupelo Police Department and had asked to move out of a mold-contaminated building in 2015.
Garrett was demoted to patrolman and had to continue working in a mold-filled environment.
He had been with Tupelo for 12 years, nine as a detective.
His attorney, Jim Waide, said his transfer to a patrolman was a demotion and retaliatory. The city said it was a lateral move because Garrett was a top officer and needed on patrol.
Waide says Garrett now works for the New Albany Police Department.