Ore. county to pay $950K to settle whistleblower suit of deputy targeted in ‘salsa gate’ inquiry - Police1
By Maxine Bernstein
oregonlive.com
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — Washington County has agreed to pay a former sheriff’s deputy $950,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging she faced retaliation for reporting that a fellow deputy ignored a homeless man’s sexual assault claim.
The county Board of Commissioners approved the settlement for Melissa Canning on its consent agenda Tuesday night.
Jose Klein, Canning’s attorney, said the substantial payment should send a clear message that “retaliation against those who report misconduct is unacceptable.”
Canning filed a complaint in March 2021 saying her patrol partner, Deputy Brett Winders , had dismissed a homeless man as “crazy” and omitted any information about the man’s alleged sexual assault in his report of the call, according to her suit.
Canning said she was then ostracized, denied promotions and became the subject of a bogus criminal investigation dubbed “salsa gate,” according to the suit.
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