Former Ruston police officers allege discrimination within the department amid lawsuit

A federal lawsuit filed by a Ruston Police sergeant in October 2022 against the city's police department alleges that the department has discriminated against female employees.

The lawsuit names Kayla Loyd as the plaintiff, and Chief Steve Rogers, Deputy Chief Henry Wood and the City of Ruston as defendants.

Since the lawsuit, two Black women formerly employed by the department have come out supporting claims of discriminatory practices within the Ruston Police Department.

Harriet Sykes and Jennifer Winzer were both employed by the Ruston Police Department for 20 and 10 years, respectively, and recounted the discrimination and workplace retaliation they both endured while working as female officers within the department.

Sykes, who joined the department in January 2001 and was promoted to corporal in January 2008, alleged she started experiencing retaliation within the department following a talk with the United States Department of Justice during their visit in 2012.

More: Lawsuit alleges Ruston Police officers discriminated against women in the workplace

"They asked me did I think that the Black people were being treated equally like the whites and I told them no," Sykes said. "When I said that... that's when they started doing the picking at me and trying to write me up for every little thing that they could write me up for."

Female officers were allegedly denied the same professional opportunities as male officers.

Loyd alleged in the lawsuit that she was not given the same equipment as her male counterparts, including a new rifle, to meet new standards set for the department's SWAT Team and also alleged she was denied training until she addressed the matter with Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker.

Despite Sykes' seniority over several white male officers within the department, she alleged she was overlooked from being assigned to several departments, including juvenile and investigations.

"Their excuse was, 'It's going to be a lot of rookies on the street'," Sykes said. "That was their excuse."

Winzer, who transferred to the department from St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office in July 2009, alleged there were the other officers were repeatedly allowed to travel and participate in trainings, while she was told no.

"When I first came there, I came from down south," Winzer said. "I was trained in everything across the board because that's the way that particular sheriff's department operated. You're only as strong as your weakest link so everybody would be trained on stuff. When I moved back home to Ruston, to keep up with my certifications, it was always an excuse why I couldn't go to this class, why I couldn't go to that class but I'd look around and see the same old people. That'd be flying them to Florida and everything for classes."

Winzer alleged a supervising officer told her there was no money in the budget but she alleged that the same officers repeatedly went to classes out of the state.

Sykes alleged she was sent to the same training session twice despite successfully completing it the first time when she asked to attend trainings.

"... the guy said, 'Why are you in here?' I said, 'This is where they sent me.' He's like, 'You've already taken it.' I'm like, 'I know and I passed it. I already have a certificate. I'm just doing what they say'."

Winzer also alleged that Chief Steve Rogers mishandled a situation when a male officer groped her breasts. Despite the department having a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, Winzer alleged she and the other officer still worked on the same shift.

"I complained about this to the Chief. The Chief didn't see a problem with it saying, 'As long as y'all stay away from each other'," Winzer said. "We're on the same shift and I felt uncomfortable."

Despite being instructed to stay away from her, Winzer alleged the other officer walked up to her during the night shift while she was in her unit to apologize to her for his actions.

"Now, I tried to get my phone out to record him apologizing because when somebody apologizes that's an admission of guilt, right?" she said. "But I couldn't get my phone out fast enough."

Winzer said she was removed from the same shift as the officer a week later after addressing her frustrations with Councilwoman Carolyn Cage, who allegedly took the matter to Mayor Ronny Walker. Winzer alleged Rogers said the other officer was given a one-day suspension. However, Winzer alleged another officer looked into the officer's folder and saw no documentation of a suspension.

"It's a whole lot of unfairness mainly going on with the females," Winzer said. "If any females try to promote, it's a problem. If she tries to stand up for herself, they start picking with her. The only reason they didn't pick with me as much, like I said, is my mouth. I'm not afraid to talk but they will literally put fear in other female officers and they just stay pretty much silent about it and they just take it, but that's not me."

Female officers allegedly faced verbal abuse from Chief Deputy Henry Wood while at work.

The lawsuit alleged Wood yelled at, belittled and berated Loyd on multiple occasions in front of other officers under her supervision and civilians in an attempt to discredit her.

Winzer recounted an incident where she was berated by Wood when she was instructed to work a zone that she wasn't assigned to.

"A call came out about a 52, which they would call a wreck, and they sent me," Winzer said. "So while I'm going, I'm like, 'I'm High [Highway] Rover. Why are they calling me over there?' So I got on the radio and I asked the dispatcher... who work this zone. Henry gets on the radio, 'Don't worry about who work that zone. You do what I told you to do'. That upset me."

Although she said she never filed a grievance against Wood, Winzer alleged she addressed Wood in the shift change room about his behavior towards her in the presence of a lieutenant because she knew that it would be her word against his.

"I'm not going to lie, I went off on Henry," Winzer said. "I told him, I am not my brother because my brother works there too. I said, 'First and foremost, I am a grown woman before anything and you will not talk to me that way over radio' and then Henry said, 'I'm sorry. I need to learn how to talk to people better.' I said, 'Yes, you do'." But because I was able to speak my mind on that, that's why I didn't file a grievance on that because for a while, Henry had changed and so that's why I never said anything about that so."

Winzer alleged she was forced into medical retirement in March 2020 due to a heart condition. However, she alleged a white male officer had a heart attack and was airlifted to Shreveport but was allowed to return to work two weeks later.

Sykes alleged she addressed her frustrations about being treated unfairly within the department with the Ruston City Council and Walker, and alleged that Rogers said he did not care who she talked to, he was the chief and he made the schedule and she was to do what he said.

Sykes said she chose to retire in January 2021 when Lieutenant Henry Wood was appointed Chief Deputy in December 2020 due to the alleged harassment from Wood, whom she accused of writing her up without merit and following her around calls.

"In my 18th year, I began to dislike my job because of how I was being treated," Sykes said. "The females were being treated or how they treated different people. One would get a slap on the hand. The other would get wrote up or they'd turn their heads and say, 'Oh it's ok' but you want to go after other people that's doing good for the department and not the ones that's hurting the department."

In a statement to The News-Star, the City of Ruston and the Ruston Police Department addressed Sykes and Winzer's claims of having experienced discrimination while working for the department.

"The City of Ruston adamantly denies former police officers, Harriet Sykes or Jennifer Winzer, suffered any discrimination in any form or manner while employed with the Ruston Police Department," Roger said. "Ms. Sykes and Ms. Winzer retired years ago and never filed any claim of discrimination. The City of Ruston treats all employees fairly without regard to any protected characteristic."

As of July, there has been no movement in the suit. However, the defendants adamantly deny the claims against them in the suit.

Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

Support local journalism by subscribing at https://cm.thenewsstar.com/specialoffer.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Former Ruston police officers speak out against department amid lawsuit