Jury agrees BPD discriminated against and harassed a woman detective; awards her $2 million

A national assemblage yesterday awarded Donna Gavin, a lieutenant successful the Boston Police Department, $2 cardinal successful mislaid wages and damages aft agreeing that not lone did her superior discriminate against her due to the fact that of her gender, helium retaliated against her aft she filed a ailment with the state.

Gavin, besides a detective, who led the BPD quality trafficking portion for astir a decade, had charged that Capt. Mark Hayes created a hostile enactment situation and actively worked to artifact her from becoming portion of the BPD bid staff, particularly aft she complained to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

Following a proceedings successful US District Court successful Boston, a assemblage yesterday answered "yes" to six questions posed by the judge, connected whether Gavin proved "by a preponderance of the evidence" that some the metropolis and Hayes discriminated against her, forced her to enactment successful a hostile situation and retaliated against her for filing a complaint.

The assemblage past acceptable dollar amounts for each of the circumstantial violations, including $1 cardinal for affectional distress and harm to her estimation and $940,000 successful cumulative mislaid wages due to the fact that she was blocked from advancing successful the ranks. The remainder was for $60,000 successful mislaid overtime, sick permission and abrogation the assemblage agreed she had lost.

The metropolis has yet to record an appeal.