Judge dismisses police officer's suit against East Lansing
GRAND RAPIDS - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the city by an East Lansing police officer.
In an April order, U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist granted a motion to dismiss the case filed in January 2016.
Tresha Neff, who was an East Lansing police sergeant at the time she filed the lawsuit, said she was passed over for promotions because she is a woman. She alleged she was denied training and better schedules that her male co-workers were allowed.
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The city of East Lansing, in its response to Neff’s lawsuit, denied her allegations, and said the city's decisions were motivated by “legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons.”
In March, more than a year after she filed the suit, Neff was promoted to lieutenant.
In his decision to dismiss the suit, Quist wrote that although Neff claimed unfavorable scheduling and denials of training and tuition reimbursement, she failed to prove “that similarly-situated male employees were treated more fairly.”
Additionally, Quist said, Neff could not show how her years of experience alone made her the “plainly superior candidate.”
A motion to amend the judge’s decision by Neff's lawyers, and East Lansing’s response to that motion, have been submitted and await the judge’s final ruling.
Contact Reporter Beth LeBlanc at 517-377-1167 or eleblanc@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LSJBethLeBlanc.